If I had tried, even just a little, to make it happen and to arrive at Montrachet on the day they were harvesting, there is no hope I could have done it.

But there I was, on my mauve rental bike (named Maude), at the famous Clos Montrachet marker for the 7.99 ha enclosed vineyard and sure enough – there they were harvesting.  I couldn’t believe my luck, having biked 13km down from Beaune where I was staying.

I was beside myself and watched for quite a while.  Then, determined to celebrate, I rode into Puligny-Montrachet village and stopped at the Caveau de Puligny-Montrachet.

They were pouring Joseph Pascal’s 1er Cru Les Chalumaux that day, so I ordered a glass to celebrate.  I told the owner in my barely serviceable French what I’d just witnessed and he was just as over-the-moon as I was, saying that someone who’d done a year of interning with him and was now working at one of the houses that farms the Clos de Montrachet Grand Cru, had dropped by to tell him today was the harvest date (August 28, 2025).

The wine was sublime.  On the eyes, it was a deep straw, with a nose of stone fruit and marzipan biscuit.  The palate was deeply layered white and yellow peach with almond and light hazelnut.  It showed lovely minerality but was equally powerful.  Beautifully developed, this wine is drinking now, but could also be held for up to 7 more years.

As I was finishing up and getting ready to ride north to Meursault for lunch, truckloads of picking teams raced through the tiny streets in their vans – honking and hooting and celebrating the end of harvest.

Everyone enjoying their wine on the patio laughed and raised a glass to cheer them on.  We were all in wine nerd heaven.