Quentin Jeannot Santenay 1er Cru “Passetemps” 2021

Domaine Jeannot
Located in Meursault, Domaine Jeannot is a relatively young estate in Burgundy, founded in 1999 by Valérie and Philippe Jeannot. The estate quickly acquired 9 hectares of vineyards with beautiful terroirs. Since their son completed his winemaking training at Davayé, near Mâcon, in 2014, he joined his parents. He is now the estate’s winemaker. This pridens the Jeannot family so that the bottle labels bear his name: QJ, Quentin Jeannot. The estate now covers 12 hectares of vineyards, consisting of plots with mostly old vines ranging from 40 to 80 years old. In addition to plots in Meursault, wine is produced from various villages and vineyards in the Côte de Beaune and Côte de Nuits: Santenay, Maranges, Pommard, Meursault, and Aloxe-Corton.

Quentin’s Wines
Quentin Jeannot produces seven white and 15 red appellations. These are not organically certified, although he practices according to organic principles entirely. Moreover, all work is done by hand, from pruning the vines to harvesting. The Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes are destemmed and undergo their first fermentation in concrete or stainless steel. The various wines then mature for 9 to 20 months in oak barrels. Quentin also prefers to use new French oak, if the wine requires it. This is how he produces captivating and opulent Burgundian wines.

Occasionally, he produces prestigious micro-cuvées, such as the Meursault 1er Cru “Poruzots,” a limited edition of 300 bottles. Only 150 bottles of white wine from Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru are produced. But even his “regular” Burgundy is often scarce. He rarely produces more than a few thousand bottles.

The entire wine selection is exceptional, in both white and red: Meursault, Meursault 1er Cru, Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru, Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru, Romanée Saint Vivant Grand Cru, Puligny-Montrachet, no fewer than three different Maranges 1er Crus, and seven different Santenay wines, one of which is a 1er Cru.

Quentin Jeannot produces elegant wines of the highest quality, but he hasn’t yet achieved hype or fame. This is reflected in his prices, making Burgundy accessible. Or as Valérie, Philippe, and Quentin put it: “We look to the future and want the world to discover the soul of our wines.”