Benoit Ente Bourgogne 2022
(Burgundy, France)

About the Winemaker:

Benoit Ente is the younger brother to Arnaud Ente, one of the greatest chardonnay producers in the world, but if he continues on his current trajectory he won’t be known as the “other” Ente for long.

While Benoit has been making wine since the late 80s, it wasn’t until 1997 that he was able to acquire his own vineyards. He inherited less than 4 hectares almost exclusively in Puligny Montrachet, as well as small plots in Chassagne Montrachet and Meursault.

Benoit inherited a tiny 2.4 hectare domaine in Puligny Montrachet which includes some great premier crus. Arnaud Ente, the Meursault specialist who studied under Coche Dury, is Benoit's brother. Like Arnaud, Benoit's wines age very well. He uses less new oak than his brother and employs virtually no battonage. The wines spend 12 months in oak and then 6 more in stainless steel--this is as true for his Aligote as it is his Folatieres! The wines are crystalline and have wonderful intensity, but they emphasize elegance and terroir-expression.

Benoit's wines are considerably more affordable than his brother's. Still, they have definitely gone up in price in recent vintages as his fame, justifiably, has skyrocketed. Fortunately, in addition to his trophy wines, he makes many beautiful cuvées from more humble terroirs at prices that are more accessible.

At the outset, Benoit began making wines that focused on richness, power, and weight by using a higher percentage of new oak and frequent battonage to give density. Like many passionate, young vingnerons, he wanted to make a statement. With maturity however comes a greater perspective and following the 2004 harvest, Benoit has steadily evolved to the point where today, he is making wines of incredible purity and balance. Benoit’s wines are precise and focused with a tension to them that is not unlike a coiled spring waiting to unfurl. On the palate, his wines do just that and the tightly knit structure detected on the nose is revealed in layers of complexity.

Winemaking:
In a dynamic of preserving the aromatic richness of the terroirs and grape varieties, we seek the natural acidity of the juices, so that the original aromas of the fruit are expressed with precision.

In a desire for the sustainability of the vineyard, our viticulture remains without chemical inputs or weedkillers.

The aging of our wines is carried out over 18 months, shared between wood, glass and stainless steel.

Our different vintages receive equal treatment, without filtration, with the aim that the only factors of variation are the characteristics of the climate.