Mature Montrachet Becoming a Rarity | Position Yourself Early

It’s no longer news that we’re stockpiling white Burgundy. We do this because we aim to strategically position ourselves – and thereby our investors – in light of a dominant and clear trend: White Burgundy is becoming increasingly sought-after. And ever more rare.

We’ve assembled four strong Grand Cru white wine investment opportunities from some of the world’s finest vineyards. Each a representative of the golden era of white Burgundy we’re currently experiencing. Each from strong (and still young) vintages. Each produced in extremely limited quantities.

Explore the various opportunities below. Montrachet (in various expressions) is the common denominator among these wines, which include:

• Coffinet-Duvernay Bâtard-Montrachet Vertical (2021, 2022, 2023)
• 2022 Fontaine Gagnard Criots-Bâtard-Montrachet
• 2022 Fontaine Gagnard Bâtard-Montrachet
• 2020 Joseph Drouhin Montrachet Marquis de Laguiche

Can Supply Meet Demand?

RareWine Trading is experiencing growing demand for white Burgundy—but there simply isn’t much of it. In 2023, France accounted for about 18% of the world’s wine production. Only 3% of France’s total wine production comes from Burgundy, and Burgundy makes up less than 0.5% of all wine produced globally.

At RareWine Invest, we focus on just two of Burgundy’s six subregions – Côte de Nuits and Côte de Beaune – the latter being relevant when it comes to white wine investment. So when we say that very little white Burgundy is produced, it’s no exaggeration.

And as if that weren’t enough: What is already scarce is now under threat from climate change.

Climate Change Takes Root in Burgundy: Scarcity Is the New Normal

In recent years, climate change has made a clear impact on Burgundy. Extreme weather – frost, rain, hail, and mildew – has challenged harvest yields. What already feels like limited quantities today may, in the future, appear generous in comparison.

Although the 2022 and 2023 vintages delivered both quality and quantity, they are exceptions in a broader pattern of loss. The 2021 vintage was hit particularly hard and has been labeled “the worst agricultural disaster of the 21st century.” And 2024 looks even worse, with expected yield declines of 16–18% compared to 2023. It may end up being the smallest Burgundy vintage since World War II.

William Kelley, Editor-in-Chief at Wine Advocate, describes 2024 as a year in which producers were pushed to their limits. Cold and damp conditions led to widespread mildew and historically low yields. According to Kelley, it’s now clear: Climate change is no longer a future threat – it’s a permanent reality in Burgundy.

So what does this mean? It means that consumers are seeking white Burgundy wherever it can still be found. And it also means that the supply currently available on the market will, in the future, be seen as the exception – not the rule.

This is your opportunity to secure a position in white Burgundy from the world’s finest vineyards.

Coffinet-Duvernay Bâtard-Montrachet Vertical

In the heart of historic Chassagne-Montrachet lies Domaine Coffinet-Duvernay – a domaine with deep family roots and proud vineyards that have belonged to the same lineage since 1860. Yet it is only in recent years that the domaine has truly found renewed energy and direction – thanks largely to one individual: Bastien Coffinet.

Since joining the family business in 2012, Bastien has elevated the wines to new heights. With a sharp eye for detail, an uncompromising commitment to quality, and a deep respect for terroir, he has revitalized the house style. Bastien blends the best of tradition with a modern understanding of winemaking – not through revolution, but through refinement and precision.

Today, Domaine Coffinet-Duvernay cultivates 6.5 hectares of vineyards, spanning village, premier cru, and grand cru levels – including some of the most sought-after parcels in Burgundy. At the top stands their Bâtard-Montrachet, one of the domaine’s finest wines. Bastien produces just a single barrel per vintage, equating to an annual production of only 500–600 bottles.

Due to this extremely limited supply, we’ve assembled a vertical consisting of the 2021, 2022, and 2023 vintages of Coffinet-Duvernay Bâtard-Montrachet. These wines are rarely reviewed by the world’s top critics – and in fact, none of our regular sources have rated these specific vintages.

That’s why this is an investment opportunity where you must rely on our expertise. And we have no doubt: Coffinet-Duvernay is destined to become one of the great producers of the future in Burgundy. We purchase Bâtard-Montrachet directly from the domaine’s cellar, allowing us to offer it at an exceptionally competitive price.

And with such tiny production volumes, it won’t take much consumer demand before the 2021, 2022, and 2023 Bâtard-Montrachet from Coffinet-Duvernay are gone for good.

Coffinet-Duvernay Bâtard-Montrachet Vertical

1x2021

Lowest price on wine-searcher.com: €264*
Total production: 502 standard bottles + 48 magnums

1x2022

Lowest price on wine-searcher.com: €400
Total production: 556 standard bottles + 12 magnums

1x2023

No listed prices on wine-searcher.com
Total production: Not yet disclosed

Your price for the vertical: €900*
Note: Only three cases available

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Domaine Fontaine-Gagnard

“This address has improved immensely over recent vintages, each year demonstrating more and more refinement. It is a very consistent portfolio […] their Bâtard-Montrachet is one of my favorites, alongside the rarely seen Criots-Bâtard-Montrachet.”

— Neal Martin, Vinous

The “address” Neal Martin refers to is Domaine Fontaine-Gagnard, quoted in his review of the domaine’s 2022 releases. Here, you have the opportunity to invest in exactly those: the 2022 Bâtard-Montrachet and the 2022 Criots-Bâtard-Montrachet—two grand cru wines with near-identical scores, an attractive price point, and very limited production.

Domaine Fontaine-Gagnard is a family-owned estate located in the heart of Chassagne-Montrachet. In 1985, Richard Fontaine and his wife Laurence Gagnard decided to establish their own domaine, separating from the highly regarded Gagnard-Delagrange estate – Laurence’s family heritage. With that, they continued generations of Burgundian winemaking tradition, now under a new name and with renewed focus.

The couple settled in Chassagne and assembled parcels from some of the region’s finest vineyards—ranging from village-level wines to premier crus and all the way up to grand crus like Bâtard-Montrachet, Criots-Bâtard-Montrachet, and even a small holding in Le Montrachet.

Since 2007, their daughter Céline Fontaine has taken the reins, now working alongside Frédéric Robert, who joined Fontaine-Gagnard after a distinguished wine career – including over a decade at the legendary Domaine Armand Rousseau (2006–2017).

Domaine Fontaine-Gagnard may not yet be one of the loudest names in Burgundy, which is precisely what makes this opportunity so interesting. Here you get young grand cru white Burgundy with strong scores and compelling prices—an investment that ensures future wine lovers may still enjoy mature Bâtard-Montrachet and Criots-Bâtard-Montrachet.

2022 Fontaine-Gagnard Criots-Bâtard-Montrachet

“This is a magnificent Criots.” — Vinous

Drinking window (Vinous): 2027–2045
Lowest price on Wine-Searcher: €305*
Total production (2022): 2,200 bottles
Scores: BH: 92–95, WA: N/A, VI: 94–96

Your price: €200*
Note: 30 bottles available

2022 Fontaine-Gagnard Bâtard-Montrachet

“Wonderful.” — Vinous

Drinking window (Vinous): 2025–2045
Lowest price on Wine-Searcher: €288*
Total production (2022): 2,000 bottles
Scores: BH: 95, WA: N/A, VI: 94–96

Your price: €225*
Note: Only 36 bottles available

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2020 Joseph Drouhin Montrachet Marquis de Laguiche

Montrachet. The very name evokes a near-reverent silence among wine lovers. When it comes to white wine of the absolute highest order, Montrachet is as close as it gets to celestial wine finesse. It is the place where the world’s finest producers – like DRC, Leflaive, and Joseph Drouhin – craft wines whose names serve as hallmarks of uncompromising quality.

This inherent demand for Montrachet is immense, which is why we've only managed to secure a very limited parcel of the 2020 Joseph Drouhin Montrachet Marquis de Laguiche – a wine flanked by a 97-point rating and produced in just around 11,000 bottles.

The 2020 Joseph Drouhin Montrachet Marquis de Laguiche receives 95 points from Vinous, while Burghound has so far issued a barrel score of 94–97. Although Wine Advocate hasn’t rated this vintage, their vintage chart describes 2020 white Burgundy as “extraordinary.”

Barrel scores are not uncommon when it comes to Joseph Drouhin’s Montrachet Marquis de Laguiche, likely due to the wine’s limited availability and its highly exclusive reputation. In this case, it’s less about the score – and more about whether you can get your hands on it at all. 

2020 Joseph Drouhin Montrachet Marquis de Laguiche

Drinking window (Vinous): 2028–2055
Total production: 11,000 bottles
Scores: BH: 94–97 (barrel), WA: N/A, VI: 97
Price trend on Wine-Searcher.com since 2022 peak: -15%*

Your price: €650*
Note: Only one case available

*Wine-Searcher recorded another pricing peak in 2022, though it appears unusually high and is therefore excluded from this analysis.

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RareWine Invest's Opinion

Do you, like us, believe that demand for mature white Burgundy Grand Cru will only intensify from here on out? Then this is a prime opportunity to ensure you can one day offer a future, quality-seeking wine connoisseur exactly that.

What these four wines have in common is that they are all incredibly young. And what their producers share is access to parcels on some of the world’s finest white wine vineyards. These four wines represent both producers who have long since secured their place on the global wine stage, and those who still operate somewhat in the shadows.

We don’t yet know the full consequences of climate change on Burgundy, but we do know the quality of what has already been produced. And it is sublime.

We’re not recommending one wine over another – but we do recommend acting quickly if you want to secure your position.