France · Côte de Beaune

Maison François Martenot

Maison François Martenot is a Meursault-based Bourgogne wine house with 270 hectares across five vineyard areas, eight vinification sites and appellations from Chablis to Beaujolais.

The producer

Maison François Martenot is a Bourgogne wine house based in Meursault, in the Côte de Beaune. It cultivates 270 hectares across five Bourgogne vineyard areas and works through eight vinification sites. Its appellations reach from Chablis in the north to Beaujolais in the south. The range includes Petit Chablis, Chablis, Bourgogne Chardonnay and Crémant de Bourgogne, alongside named holdings such as Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru, Chablis Premier Cru Beauroy and Pommard Premier Cru Les Epenots. Its labels identify place, a grape name, sparkling format and vineyard classification.

Lucien Gustave Martenot bought a 10-hectare estate in Savigny-lès-Beaune in July 1922 to turn it into a Bourgogne wine house. His daughter Charlotte later took over the firm. In 2015, the Helfrich Family acquired the house, bringing a new vision and investment in technical modernity. All estates have held HVE 3 certification since 2021, and the house takes part each year in the Hospices de Beaune and Hospices de Nuits auctions. Petit Chablis shows orange blossom and an acidity-led palate. Chablis 2018 shows white fruits, minerality and a lemon-fresh finish. Bourgogne Chardonnay has a fleshy palate and saline finish. Crémant de Bourgogne Blanc Brut Millésime shows white flowers, hazelnut, peach, fine bubbles and persistent foam.

Known for

A Bourgogne range spanning Petit Chablis, Chablis, Bourgogne Chardonnay and Crémant de Bourgogne, with named holdings in Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru, Chablis Premier Cru Beauroy and Pommard Premier Cru Les Epenots.

Notable facts

The story

Ten hectares in July 1922

In July 1922, Lucien Gustave Martenot bought a 10-hectare estate in Savigny-lès-Beaune. He had a specific ambition for it: to turn the property into a Bourgogne wine house. The purchase began the Martenot house's history, followed by his daughter Charlotte Martenot, a young woman of extraordinary charisma. Charlotte later took over the running of the firm, succeeding the man who had bought the estate. The place, the date and the ten hectares all belong to that beginning, before the business passed to the next family leader.

From the atlas

Maison François Martenot

At A Glance

Maison François Martenot is based in Meursault, in the heart of the Côte de Beaune. It cultivates 270 hectares across five Bourgogne vineyard areas and has eight vinification sites covering Chablis, Côte de Nuits, Côte de Beaune, Hautes Côtes and Mâconnais. The house works with appellations from Chablis in the north to Beaujolais in the south. Its range includes Petit Chablis and Chablis, Bourgogne Chardonnay, Crémant de Bourgogne and named Premier Cru and Grand Cru holdings.

The Producer

Maison François Martenot is a Bourgogne wine house based in Meursault. It has 270 hectares across five vineyard areas and eight vinification sites. Its holdings include Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru, Chablis Premier Cru Beauroy and Pommard Premier Cru Les Epenots. The house name therefore appears on regional wines as well as wines from classified vineyards.

The Bourgogne Chardonnay label carries a grape name. Chablis and Petit Chablis carry appellation names, while Crémant de Bourgogne identifies the sparkling format. The three classified holdings carry vineyard and cru names. Across the range, the labels identify place, grape name, wine style and classification.

Place

Meursault places the house in the Côte de Beaune, but its vineyards and wine-making footprint extend across the wider Bourgogne map. The eight vinification sites are in the named vineyard areas of Chablis, Côte de Nuits, Côte de Beaune, Hautes Côtes and Mâconnais. The house's appellations reach south to Beaujolais, so the range covers more than one local wine style.

Chablis and Petit Chablis mark the northern part of the range. Pommard Premier Cru Les Epenots and Chablis Premier Cru Beauroy identify classified holdings, while Corton-Charlemagne carries Grand Cru classification. Individual bottle notes provide the taste detail.

Soil And Site

No soil type, slope, aspect, altitude, parcel detail or climate description is attached to the named holdings. The available physical information consists of the vineyard map, the appellation names and the classifications. The wines are therefore described through those labels and their direct tasting notes, without adding a geological cause that is not given.

Story

The current chapter began in 2015, when the Helfrich Family acquired Maison François Martenot and brought a new vision with investment in technical modernity. Since 2021, all estates have held HVE 3 certification, High Environmental Value level 3. The house also takes part every year in the Hospices de Beaune and Hospices de Nuits auctions. Maison François Martenot combines Helfrich investment with this environmental certification and recurring auction participation.

Vineyards And Cellar

Martenot has 270 hectares across five Bourgogne vineyard areas. Its eight vinification sites are spread through Chablis, Côte de Nuits, Côte de Beaune, Hautes Côtes and Mâconnais. The cellar network covers the same named zones that appear across the range, while the house operates across a wider vineyard area.

No barrel, fermentation, harvest, lees, ageing or dosage detail is provided for the wines. The cellar description is limited to the eight-site network, while tasting differences come from the named bottles.

Wines

Petit Chablis is the entry-level wine in the Chablis part of the range. It is pale golden, with orange blossom and an acidity-led profile. Chablis is the still white appellation beside it. Bourgogne Chardonnay is another named white wine, with a fleshy palate and a saline finish.

Crémant de Bourgogne Blanc Brut Millésime changes the format from still to sparkling. It has a golden yellow colour, fine bubbles and persistent foam, with white flowers, hazelnuts and peach in the bouquet. The classified wines include Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru, Chablis Premier Cru Beauroy and Pommard Premier Cru Les Epenots. The range includes an entry-level Chablis-area wine, still white appellation wines, a sparkling cuvée and bottles carrying vineyard classifications.

In The Glass

Petit Chablis opens with orange blossom, and its acidity carries the palate in a brisk, direct line. Bourgogne Chardonnay has a different mouthfeel, with a fleshy palate and a saline finish. Crémant brings white flowers, hazelnut and peach above fine bubbles, while persistent foam keeps the finish active.

Petit Chablis and Bourgogne Chardonnay are still wines with different palate cues. Crémant is sparkling, so bubbles and foam form part of its texture. The wines range from acidity-led freshness to flesh and salt, followed by floral fruit carried by mousse.

A Bottle To Understand It

Chablis 2018 is the first bottle to open. It is a still white appellation wine with bright pale yellow colour, an open nose of white fruits and minerality, a balanced palate and a lemon-flavoured, fresh finish. Its balance gives the 2018 vintage aging potential, with a recommendation to drink it within two years. This bottle connects appellation, vintage, aroma, palate, finish and timing in a single example.

Anecdote

In July 1922, Lucien Gustave Martenot bought a 10-hectare estate in Savigny-lès-Beaune with the ambition of turning it into a Bourgogne wine house. The three details are July 1922, Savigny-lès-Beaune and a 10-hectare estate. His daughter, Charlotte Martenot, was later described as a young woman of extraordinary charisma and took over the running of the firm.

Final Word

Maison François Martenot is based in Meursault and reaches from Chablis to Beaujolais. Its range includes appellation, format and classification on the label. For the first pour, Chablis 2018 offers white fruit and minerality, a balanced palate and a lemon-fresh finish, with a recommendation to drink it within two years.

Sources

Open Maison François Martenot in the interactive map →