Comtesse de Chérisey
The
lost hamlet of Blagny, up in the hills between Puligny-Montrachet and Meursault
in the Côte d’Or in Burgundy, is home to Domaine Comtesse de Chérisey.
You may have heard the name “Blagny” before, attached to a bottle of premier
cru Meursault-Blagny, or perhaps even a bottle of the increasingly rare
Blagny rouge. Monks were the first inhabitants, planting vines in the
14th century. This almost magical, lost-in-time corner of the world boasts a
unique microclimate, with a slightly different average temperature, exposition
and soil than the rest of Burgundy. In our humble opinion, our friend and vigneron,
Laurent Martelet, creates the most haunting masterpieces that emerge from this terroir.
Laurent bottles the wines we import under the Comtesse de Chérisey
label named in honor of his wife Hélène’s mother, who inherited their vines and
passed them on to Hélène, who works side by side with Laurent.
All
of the de Chérisey premier cru vines are at least 60 years old
and they encircle their ancient cellar in the Hameau de Blagny. Their Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Hameau de Blagny is from
vines on the south side of Blagny, level with the village, just above Puligny Truffières. It is a wine that combines
the power and richness of Meursault with the ethereal finesse of Puligny.
Laurent’s Puligny-Montrachet1er Cru Les Chalumaux
is from vines just below Blagny, between the aforementioned Truffières and Meursault-Perrières. If
you were a Chardonnay vine it wouldn’t be a bad place to put down your
roots. The wine is loaded with
white limestone and gives a very fine, intensely focused white Burgundy, très Puligny, screaming with minerality.
It doesn’t have the renown of its neighbors, but it should. The Meursault-Blagny 1er Cru La Genelotte is from a
vineyard just north of Blagny, on the Meursault side of course, high on the
slope above the village. The wine
is a powerful, classic, long-lived Meursault. The Genelotte vineyard is also a
monopole meaning Laurent and Hélène are sole proprietors.

The lost hamlet of Blagny, up in the hills between Puligny-Montrachet and Meursault in the Côte d’Or in Burgundy, is home to Domaine Comtesse de Chérisey. You may have heard the name “Blagny” before, attached to a bottle of premier cru Meursault-Blagny, or perhaps even a bottle of the increasingly rare Blagny rouge. Monks were the first inhabitants, planting vines in the 14th century. This almost magical, lost-in-time corner of the world boasts a unique microclimate, with a slightly different average temperature, exposition and soil than the rest of Burgundy. In our humble opinion, our friend and vigneron, Laurent Martelet, creates the most haunting masterpieces that emerge from this terroir. Laurent bottles the wines we import under the Comtesse de Chérisey label named in honor of his wife Hélène’s mother, who inherited their vines and passed them on to Hélène, who works side by side with Laurent.
All of the de Chérisey premier cru vines are at least 60 years old and they encircle their ancient cellar in the Hameau de Blagny. Their Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Hameau de Blagny is from vines on the south side of Blagny, level with the village, just above Puligny Truffières. It is a wine that combines the power and richness of Meursault with the ethereal finesse of Puligny. Laurent’s Puligny-Montrachet1er Cru Les Chalumaux is from vines just below Blagny, between the aforementioned Truffières and Meursault-Perrières. If you were a Chardonnay vine it wouldn’t be a bad place to put down your roots. The wine is loaded with white limestone and gives a very fine, intensely focused white Burgundy, très Puligny, screaming with minerality. It doesn’t have the renown of its neighbors, but it should. The Meursault-Blagny 1er Cru La Genelotte is from a vineyard just north of Blagny, on the Meursault side of course, high on the slope above the village. The wine is a powerful, classic, long-lived Meursault. The Genelotte vineyard is also a monopole meaning Laurent and Hélène are sole proprietors.
Technical Information
Wine | Blend | Vine Age | Soil Type | Vineyard Area* |
---|---|---|---|---|
Blagny Rouge 1er Cru La Genelotte |
Pinot Noir | Planted in 1934 | Clay, Limestone | .34 ha |
Meursault Bois de Blagny |
Chardonnay | Planted in 2006 | Clay, Limestone | 1.13 ha |
Meursault “Cuvée Léo” |
Chardonnay | Planted in 2011 | Clay, Limestone | .64 ha |
Meursault-Blagny 1er Cru La Genelotte |
Chardonnay | Planted between 1946-1955 | Clay, Limestone | 3.5 ha |
Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Hameau de Blagny |
Chardonnay | Planted in 1950 | Clay, Limestone | 1.7 ha |
Meursault-Blagny 1er Cru La Pièce sous le Bois |
Chardonnay | Planted in 1970 | Clay, Limestone | .33 ha |
Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Chalumaux |
Chardonnay | Planted in 1946 | Clay, Limestone | .8 ha |
Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru La Garenne |
Chardonnay | Planted in 2000 | Clay, Limestone | .10 ha |
Beaune 1er Cru Rouge “Cuvée Brunet” Hospices de Beaune |
Pinot Noir | 85% Planted in 1954, 1976, 15% planted in 1999 |
Clay, Limestone | N/A |
Beaune 1er Cru Rouge “Les Montrevenots” Hospices de Beaune |
Pinot Noir | Planted in 1929, 1979 | Clay, Limestone | 1.13 ha |
* "ha" = hectares; one hectare equals roughly two and a half acres |
VITICULTURE / VINIFICATION
• Hand-harvested
• Rigorous grape sorting before the crush• Wines are unfined and unfiltered
Whites:
• Direct pressing• Settling of the juice for 12 hours then racked directly into 228-L oak barrels
• The percentage of new oak and the length of aging depend on the vintage
Reds:
• Partially de-stemmed• Traditional vinification in stainless steel tanks
• Daily punch-downs
• Maceration lasts from 10-15 days
• Aged in 228-L oak barrels for 18 months, wines are racked twice before bottling
Meursault “Cuvée Léo”:
• Named for Laurent Martelet's first grandchild
• Fermented and aged in stainless steel tank
Beaune 1er Cru Rouge “Cuvée Brunet” Hospices de Beaune:
• This cuvée comes from 3 premier cru climats: Les Cent Vignes, Les Bressandes, Le Bas des Teurons
Beaune 1er Cru Rouge “Les Montrevenots” Hospices de Beaune:
• This cuvée comes from the premier cru vineyard Les Montrevenots, located near Beaune Clos des Mouches, high on the hill at the border with Pommard
General Information
- Country
- France
- Region
- Burgundy
- Appellation(s)
- Blagny, Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet
- Producer
- Hélène Martelet-de-Chérisey, Laurent Martelet
- Founded
- 1811
- Annual Production
- 2,000 cases
- Farming
- Organic (practicing)