Domaine Thénard

Pinot Noir · Givry Clos du Cellier aux Moines Premier Cru · Burgundy

$72 per bottle

This premier cru was named in 1258 by the Cistercian monks of La Ferte, and Thenard ages it mostly in large foudres to keep the fruit clear. Rounder and more open than Bois Chevaux, it offers ripe red and black cherry, a touch of spice, and soft, welcoming tannins. An easygoing introduction to red Givry with eight centuries of history behind the name.

Pinot Noir · Givry Clos Saint Pierre Premier Cru · Burgundy

$90 per bottle

Clos Saint Pierre is a Thenard monopole at the top of the hill, the highest and firmest of its Givry premier crus, aged mostly in seasoned barrels. This is the structured one: darker-fruited and more tannic, with a savoury, mineral grip that asks for a little patience or a hearty plate. The cellaring choice among the estate's Givrys.

Pinot Noir · Givry Bois Chevaux Premier Cru · Burgundy

$66 per bottle

Domaine Thenard has farmed Givry since 1760 and is best known beyond it as the second-largest owner of Le Montrachet, yet the heart of the estate is here in the Cote Chalonnaise. Bois Chevaux is its largest Givry holding, a mid-slope site of iron-rich red soil aged half in foudre, half in barrel. Dark cherry and earth, supple and savoury, with the gentle structure of a fine village-plus red. Drinking well now.

Pinot Noir · Burgundy

$75 per bottle

With his slightly old-fashioned ways, Jean-Baptiste does not chase money – and with hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of vineyards he doesn’t need to – and thus his Premier and Grand Cru wines are the most reasonably priced in all of Burgundy. From my annual or twice-annual visits to Domaine Thenard, we are building a library of notes on their occasionally tasted much older Premier Cru Givry releases. In July 2019 we tried the Givry Premier Crus back to 1976 (astonishing! Yes! 18.4 points) after having tried the 1978s on my prior visit. These are very reasonably priced lesser known Givry appellation Premier Cru Burgundies. This clearly illustrates that these very reasonably priced Burgundies can age and improve for decades with ease. Please also note that the winemaking techniques and fruit quality selected today are far superior to the wines of the 70s and 80s.JJ (John Jens)

Pinot Noir · Burgundy

$79 per bottle

Jean-Baptiste Bordeaux-Montrieux has been running the Domaine from the 1980's and the wines have always been made in a very traditional method: fermented in wood tonneau barrels for two weeks, punched-down by foot twice a day, then aged in barrel for twelve to eighteen months (five percent new oak on the premier crus), and only very lightly filtered if necessary. The whites are fermented and aged in barrel. Fermentations start spontaneously and continue at their own pace, sometimes for months. The amount of new oak has been dialled back on the Montrachet and averages fifty percent from the 2010 vintage. On the reds, the Clos du Cellier aux Moines is aged mostly in foudres, and the Clos Saint-Pierre is aged mostly in used barrels. The Boix Chevaux is a fifty-fifty mix of foudres and barrels. Bowlerwine.com

Pinot Noir · Burgundy

$534 per bottle

traditionally styled, delicate and light in colour. The nose shows direct forest fruit with underbrush. The palate has bright and beautiful acidity with a measured amount of lush red fruitiness.

Pinot Noir · Corton Clos du Roi Grand Cru · Burgundy

$253 per bottle

Clos du Roi is regarded as the noblest climat of the Corton hill, and Thenard's holding here is one of its grand-cru treasures. Aged around eighteen months in oak, this is a wine of depth and authority: dark cherry and forest floor, firm but ripe tannins, and the mineral length that marks great Corton. A grand cru built to age a decade or more.

Pinot Noir · Pernand-Vergelesses Ile des Vergelesses Premier Cru · Burgundy

$125 per bottle

Ile des Vergelesses is widely held to be the finest premier cru of Pernand-Vergelesses, a south-facing site on the flank of the Corton hill. Thenard's is a more aromatic, red-fruited Pinot than its Givrys, with rose and spice over fine tannins and a long, savoury close. A graceful wine from one of the Cote de Beaune's underrated addresses.

Chardonnay · Burgundy

$1,920 per bottle

Le Montrachet is the vineyard against which every other white wine in the world is measured, a Grand Cru shared between Puligny and Chassagne that gives Chardonnay of extraordinary concentration, breadth and longevity. Domaine Thenard, based in Givry in the Cote Chalonnaise, is one of the historic owners of Le Montrachet and holds one of the larger parcels of this small vineyard, which has made its name synonymous with the Grand Cru for generations. The 2022 Domaine Thenard Le Montrachet Grand Cru comes from a warm, balanced vintage that gave the Cote de Beaune ripe, generous whites with the freshness to age.

Pinot Noir · Burgundy

$466 per bottle

Grands-Echezeaux is one of the smallest and most sought-after Grands Crus of the Cote de Nuits, lying between Clos de Vougeot and Echezeaux in the commune of Flagey-Echezeaux, and its Pinot Noir is traditionally richer and more structured than Echezeaux itself. Domaine Thenard is a historic family estate based in Givry on the Cote Chalonnaise, best known for its holdings in Le Montrachet and in Grands-Echezeaux, which give this Givry domaine a presence among Burgundy's grandest sites.

Chardonnay · Montrachet Grand Cru · Burgundy

$2,484 per bottle

Le Montrachet is the most celebrated dry white vineyard on earth, and Thenard farms the second-largest parcel of it, on the Chassagne side. Raised in around half new oak, this is the summit of the estate and a wine of remarkable presence: deep, layered white and stone fruit, hazelnut and honey, a saline power that builds and builds. A profound bottle to cellar for the long term and open for an occasion that deserves it.

Chardonnay · Montrachet Grand Cru · Burgundy

$2,299 per bottle

The 2020 shows the cooler, more energetic face of Le Montrachet, a vintage prized for its precision and drive. From Thenard's holding on the Chassagne side, raised in part-new oak, it is taut and vibrant: lemon and white flower, crushed stone and a long, mineral-soaked finish that stays fresh to the last. A chiselled expression with a long road ahead.

Chardonnay · Montrachet Grand Cru · Burgundy

$2,078 per bottle

Drawn from Thenard's parcel on the Chassagne flank of Le Montrachet, the 2019 captures a vintage many call one of the greatest of recent times. It is concentration held in balance: white peach and candied citrus, almond and a flicker of flint, all carried on a deep, saline core that lengthens as it sits. The estate's flagship in a benchmark year, and a wine to forget in the cellar for a decade.

Chardonnay · Burgundy

$1,395 per bottle