This very steep and stony, perfectly south-facing vineyard is Bonhomme’s highest, at 385 meters (indeed, the highest in the entire region), and the last they pick. But it always retains a very Puligny-like tension and intensity.
This isn’t so much a richer wine than the Macon as a “finer” one. Indeed, we often find that we prefer it to the creamier but less intense and refined Vire-Clesse VV bottling, even though that’s a good bit more expensive.
British Burgundy writer Jasper Morris, MW rates this outstanding, explaining:
This comes from the highest vineyard in the appellation, weirdly enough with the cadastral name La Plaine. Instead, Aurélien calls this cuvée Les Pierres Blanches as the hard white limestone had to be crushed in order to enable planting. The wine spends one year in stainless steel. Light to mid lemon yellow. More chiselled on the nose, taking its time to deliver. Ripe fruits now start to show, a little more precision and nobility, certainly more length. Ripe plums with a touch of apricot, very good length.
He actually rates it equal to Bonhomme’s rare (and $70+) Brenillons bottling, as well as the top vintage ever for this cuvee. And of course, above a number of top Meursaults, Puligny-Montrachets and Chassagne-Montrachets.
Bonhomme is of course famous for not only producing wines that overdeliver, but ones that could easily be mistaken (and often are) for the much more prestigious and expensive appellations of the Cote de Beaune. And in that regard, this one leads the pack.
It’s not only brilliant in terms of quality; it’s “brilliant” in the sense a diamond is.