Puligny-Montrachet
Domaine
Philippe Chavy.
by Philippe Chavy
A historic domaine in the heart of Puligny-Montrachet, crafting wines from some of the most legendary vineyards on earth. The Chavy name rings out across Burgundy, synonymous with classically brilliant white wines. Philippe took the reins in 1990, inheriting Puligny parcels from his father (planted in the 1950s) and Meursault from his mother (going all the way back to 1932), with one of Saint-Aubin’s most iconic plots thrown into the mix.
Alongside his wife Graziella, Philippe has pushed the domaine forward while holding tight to tradition. Herbicides and insecticides were abandoned long before it was fashionable, and biodynamics have been embraced since 2010. His philosophy is simple but uncompromising: great wine can only come from great grapes.
From legendary vines, come legendary wines
Today the domaine stretches to around 8 hectares – picture 11 football pitches of vines, each parcel farmed and harvested by hand. Fermentations kick off in stainless steel to capture tension and clarity, then the wines are aged oak barrels, with some 500-600 Litres (double the standard size) – to ensure the wines retain their classic, razer sharp edge.
Tasting with Philippe Chavy is like stepping into a rock concert. 70s anthems blasting, glasses pouring, senses firing on all cylinders.
His wines have depth, concentration and sheer beauty.
The Chavy name roars across Puligny-Montrachet and Meursault with good reason...
Rock music literally blasts through the cellar at harvest, and that raw energy finds its way into the wines themselves – vibrant, electric, impossible to ignore.
FROM VINEYARD TO WINERY
Old Vine Brilliance
Philippe Chavy farms some of the oldest vines in the Côte de Beaune – including parcels planted in the 1930s and 40s – and his winemaking is all about letting that heritage speak. Everything is harvested by hand, plot by plot, with grapes pressed whole and fermentations kept cool in stainless steel to preserve brightness. The wines then age in oak barrels, most of them older, with just a gentle touch of new oak on the top crus. He works with long élevage (around 16 months), minimal intervention, and a careful eye on balance – lees stirring where it adds texture, never where it masks purity. The result is a range of wines that channel the concentration of these venerable old vines into bottles of real depth, precision and mineral drive.
MODERN IDEAS MEET CLASSICAL SKILLS
Hand Bottled
Philippe isn’t afraid to experiment, something Jasper Morris MW of Inside Burgundy highlights when he notes Chavy’s “fascinating mix of some modern ideas with old classic principles. The results are excellent.” One of those classical touches is his commitment to hand-bottling with a chèvre à deux becs – the double-spouted siphon once made famous by Henri Jayer.
Philippe is among the very last vignerons still using it. The process may sound less poetic in English (“double-spouted barrel tap”), but in practice it’s pure artistry: gravity alone guides the wine into bottle, with no pumping, no pressure, no disturbance. The effect is a bottling as gentle as it gets – preserving the freshness, texture and fine aromatics of the wine.
WHY WE’RE EXCITED…
In the simplest terms – it’s the wine that excites us. Philippe doesn’t stand on a soapbox about philosophy or preach the “right” way to make Burgundy. He just pours the glass and lets the wines do the talking – and talk they do. From the electric snap of his magical Aligoté to the sheer grandeur of Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru Les Folatières, every bottle had us grinning, glass in hand, and yes, actually dancing in the cellar (though the 70s rock anthems blasting from the speakers helped).
What makes it so thrilling is the contrast: a winemaker so modest in manner, so understated in explanation, yet with a mischievous, devilish streak simmering beneath the surface. That quiet genius doesn’t shout – it explodes in the glass.
Ben, Jen & Callum
Discover the Wines
