We have been great fans of the beautifully crafted Vezelay wines of the La Cadette for some time after first noticing them on the wine list at iconic Paris restaurant Le Chateaubriand.
Our new La Soeur Cadette release includes one wine we have had before (La Soeur Cadette Juliénas 2024) and seven new wines. The new wines include three new cuvées – a Beaujolais Village, a Bourgogne Aligoté and our first wine from the IGP Yonne appellation, which we’ve written about later in the newsletter. It is also only the second time we have had a négoce Chablis.
Domaine de la Cadette was created by Jean Montanet and his wife Catherine in Saint-Père, a small village close to Vézelay, in the north of Burgundy. The family’s business, which is now run by their son Valentin Montanet, has expanded over time to include an increasingly large négoce project and also wines made under the label Montanet-Thoden, from vines owned by Catherine and a friend, Tom Thoden.
The négoce project, which they started in 2010, was initially quite small, is now fundamental, as it has become increasingly difficult to have successful vintages and almost impossible to have two successive successful vintages (more of that below). It has also expanded beyond its initial intent, which was to supplement their winemaking with purchased grapes from nearby growers. Now, Valentin buys more widely, particularly from Beaujolais, a region he has a strong affection for.
These wines are all négoce cuvées, although nearly half of the Melon de Bourgogne in this 2025 Melon cuvée, is actually from the estate. (Many years ago the family made an estate Domaine de la Cadette Melon and a négoce La Soeur Cadette Melon but several years ago they decided to make a single Melon cuvée using both their own and purchased grapes and, just occasionally in the very best vintages, like 2022, only their own.)
Happily, though, 2025 was a good year for the estate, and we will start to receive wines from their own vines next year, including the return of the Vézelay Les Saulniers cuvée, which we tasted for the first time in several years, at the start of July, the day it was bottled.
Valentin’s notes about the 2025 vintage of estate wines are “I’m very happy with the style of the vintage and the winemaking, which went smoothly … Gone are the 14° Chardonnay and the opulent Pinot. 2025 marks a return to “normal” in terms of concentration and balance. It’s a bit of a comeback for the lively, energetic wines of northern Burgundy.”
The news from the estate is not all good though, with 2026 being another vintage that will most likely not produce any wines, thanks to the heat and lack of rain.
This difficulty (no estate wines in 2024 and also almost certainly none this year too) makes the négoce wines, like the ones in this release, absolutely critical to their survival and, as Valentin explains it, to him being able to keep together the team of people who work with him. In fact he is embarking on a program to gradually reduce the holdings in Vézelay given that so often the vines, which still require much work and expense every year, are now only occasionally delivering sufficient grapes to make a wine. Some of their holdings are leased and these are gradually being reduced.
Valentin no longer filters any of their wines. The reds were never filtered but until a few years ago the whites were lightly filtered through diatomaceous earth. This stopped from 2022. Because the wines are not filtered there is usually a small deposit right at the bottom of the bottle but otherwise they are clear (at least by our standards!) and drink very cleanly. Valentin does, though, always add small amounts of sulphites at different stages during the vinification process so the wines are not suitable if you prefer to drink wines with no added sulphites. This is always done after malolactic fermentation is completed.
You can check the availability of these Cadette wines on our page which lists wines that are currently available here.
La Soeur Cadette Bourgogne Blanc 2025
The grapes for this négoce cuvée are from two growers in the Mâconnais, both from vines that are about 55 years old.
The soil in the commune of Hurigny is clay and limestone, very similar to the soil in the family’s Vézelay vineyards. The other vines are grown in the commune of Plottes. The vineyard is hilly, chalky and stony in places, and also with yellow clay.
It’s predominantly aged in stainless steel but about 5% was in new barrels (to cure them for future estate cuvées which they prefer to make with barrels that have been used at least once.).
12.5% ABV
RRP: $54 (SOLD OUT)
La Soeur Cadette Bourgogne Rouge 2025
The grapes for this négoce cuvée are from the hallowed Cote d’Or village of Volnay, from Mercurey further south, and, closer to the Montanets’ home, from Vézelay in the north.
Each source was vinified separately. In each case whole bunches were macerated in tank, initially with some added CO2.
They did regular punch downs, each time going deeper until eventually the remaining grapes are “swimming” as Valentin Montanet puts it. Before it is too cold it was pressed then returned to tank to finish fermentation.
Once it was finished fermenting the Volnay was aged in 400 litre barrels and the Mercurey and Vézelay juice in foudres. It was blended prior to bottling.
12% ABV.
RRP: $62
La Soeur Cadette Chablis 2025
The grapes are sourced from a vineyard of 40 year old vines in the commune of Chablis with clay and limestone soils.
The grapes were directly-pressed and the juice put in stainless steel tanks where it was fermented and aged on lees for approximately 8 months prior to bottling.
It is fresh and medium weight, hinting of citrus on the palate, and finishes with energetic freshness and a salty tang.
It was filtered through a kieselguhr filter which uses diatomaceous earth, hence making it suitable for vegetarians and vegans.
RRP: $76
La Cadette Vézelay IGP Yonne 2025
The vineyard from where the grapes for this négoce cuvée are sourced is in an area that was recently redrawn by the regulators and its classification changed from Petit Chablis to IGP Yonne.
It is 100% Chardonnay. It was directly pressed than aged in stainless steel tanks for just a short time (bottled the following February).
The aim with this wine is to make a fresh, easy-to-drink-young white wine, similar to the Melon which has always been the first white wine of the vintage to be released.
12% ABV.
RRP: $48
La Soeur Cadette Juliénas 2025
This is our second release of this vintage of this négoce wine. The grapes are sourced from several south-facing vineyards within the Juliénas cru, all of which have well-drained granitic-sand soils. The vines are 70-90 years old.
Whole bunches were fermented in vats with minimal intervention (no punching down). After pressing fermentation was completed in vats. The wine was then aged 50% in oak barrels and 50% in stainless steel tanks. Small amounts of sulphites were added after completion of alcoholic and malolactic fermentation, and at bottling.
We can do no better than quote Anthony Lynch, son of Kermit Lynch, the renowned Californian importer of Cadette wines in the USA, to describe this wine. He said recently “His Juliénas, sourced from an organically farmed vineyard on granite soil, is textbook cru Beaujolais: very aromatic with loads of fresh Gamay fruit, it flows over the palate with a juicy buoyancy that simply makes it hard to resist.”
The wine was not filtered when bottled.
12.5% ABV.
RRP: $57
La Soeur Cadette Aligote 2025
The grapes for this cuvée are from a vineyard in the commune of Igé, in the Mâconnais, from vines around 55-60 years old.
50% was aged in 400 litre barrels and the rest in stainless steel tanks.
The soil is quite deep clay, which makes for a slightly fuller wine, which at first taste is more reminiscent of Chardonnay than Aligoté.
12.5% ABV
RRP: $54 (SOLD OUT)
La Cadette Vézelay La Piècette 2023
La Piècette is an estate Chardonnay and the only white wine which has traditionally been aged in barrels. It is named for the type of barrel used, a “pièce”, which is similar in size to a typical Burgundy barrel but slightly stockier.
The grapes are sourced from all of the domaine’s Chardonnay vineyards so there is a wide variety of soils and expositions.
They are in the communes of Asquins, St Père, Tharoiseau, and Vézelay.
The grapes are pressed using a pneumatic press, and after settling are transferred to oak barrels, where they undergo fermentation. Aging was for 8 months prior to bottling.
Small amounts of sulphites were added after alcoholic and malolactic fermentation was completed and at bottling. It was not filtered. Certified organic.
13.5% ABV.
RRP: $67 (SOLD OUT)
La Cadette Bourgogne Vézelay Les Saulniers 2020
Les Saulniers is another white cuvée made entirely from Chardonnay.
The Les Saulniers vineyard is a beautiful parcel of land situated on an old road once used by salt smugglers, who extracted contraband salt from the water at the nearby “Fontaines Salées”. The vines are beautifully tended and show strength from their organic treatment.
This wine was bottled after spending approximately six months in vats.
It has a liveliness and freshness that is very appealing for such an elegant wine. The finish is very long and interesting.
It is one of the best Chardonnay wines from the northern area of Burgundy that we have tried. It has elegance, flavour, a beautiful acid backbone and lots of structure.
RRP: $55 (SOLD OUT)
La Soeur Cadette Vézelay 2021
This beautiful, organic white wine has been released under the new Vézelay appellation which is only for white wines grown in a restricted number of communes based around the village of Vézelay.
It is made from 100% Chardonnay as required by the rules of this new appellation.
This wine has been assembled by La Soeur Cadette from grapes harvested from the very best terroir in their Vézelay vineyards. The Kimmeridgean limestone and clay creates a wonderful soil that Chardonnay absolutely loves which is partly why this is a white wine only appellation.
RRP: $84 (SOLD OUT)
Domaine de la Cadette Bourgogne l’Ermitage Rouge 2018
This Domaine de la Cadette wine is made primarily from Pinot Noir (80%), but it also has 20% of the rare César grape that is permitted in the Yonne region of Burgundy. This grape has been grown in this area since Roman times (hence the name).
This wine is therefore quite a rarity because of the inclusion of a grape variety that is permitted in this part of Burgundy but is rarely spoken about.
César is permitted only in the communes in the Yonne department and very little wine from this area makes its way to Australia. However this wine definitely benefits from the inclusion of this spicy grape variety. We love it.
The vines grow on a very steep south-facing slope, in the rural district of Vézelay at a placed called l’Ermitage after which the wine is named.
This is a beautiful, savoury Burgundy with a lingering finish and with a hint of the exotic from the use of the César grape.
RRP: $54 (SOLD OUT)
La Cadette Bourgogne Champs Cadet Rouge 2023
La Cadette Bourgogne Rouge Champs Cadet 2023 is an estate wine, made with grapes from a vineyard in the commune of Asquins in the Yonne Department.
During the maceration the grapes (some destemmed and some whole bunch) had occasional punch downs.
The free-run juice is run off and then, after pressing, the free run and press juice are blended prior to maturation in old oak barrels for almost 10 months prior to bottling without filtration.
The soil is clay and limestone and very stony, and it has a southerly and south-easterly aspect. The vines are 25-30 years old.Certified organic.
13.5% ABV.
RRP: $54 (SOLD OUT)
La Soeur Cadette Vin de France Melon de Bourgogne Blanc 2023
This wine is made from Melon de Bourgogne vines in the Yonne department.
It usually includes both négoce and estate Melon de Bourgogne. (Even in years where there is enough of their own harvest to make this wine in recent years they have always bottled it as La Soeur Cadette. When we started working with them there was an estate only cuvée as well.)
The vines are approximately 30 years old. The grapes are directly pressed then aged for 8-10 months on their lees prior to bottling. Certified organic
12.5% ABV.
RRP: $55 (SOLD OUT)
La Soeur Cadette Mâcon Chardonnay 2018
The La Soeur Cadette Mâcon is a true négoce wine, made with purchased grapes from the north of Mâcon from vines which thrive in the Uchizy and Peronne communes. The vines are around 30 years old and grow in very rocky vineyards of clay and limestone.
This wine is not certified organic, but Valentin, who visits the vineyard each year, has assured us the farming is organic. Valentin and his team pick the grapes and take them back to Saint Pere to make the wine.
Therefore the wine is labelled with their ‘negoce’ La Soeur Cadette designation. This is all due to the rules laid down by the French wine authorities.
As a result, this is a very beautiful wine made entirely from Chardonnay grapes with a small amount (3%) of a rare grape called Muscaté, which is a cross between Chardonnay and Muscat, which are aged in stainless steel tanks for 8 to 10 months. It is also a very reasonable price for such a pure white Burgundy.
Note that Valentin has two wines from the Mâcon, both made from Chardonnay, with the only difference being that the grapes are sourced from two different organic vineyards. One is issued under the Mâcon Villages appellation and this one as Mâcon Chardonnay.
RRP: $47 (SOLD OUT)
Domaine Montanet-Thoden Vézelay Cuvee Galerne Blanc 2023
Domaine Montanet-Thoden is Catherine’s domaine but the vineyards are maintained by the same people and the wines are made by the same crew that make the Cadette wines.
The vines are only twenty years old but are already producing excellent fruit due to the organic cultivation and the presence of lots of limestone in the clay soils. It is a great place for fossil hunting!
This is a lively 100% Chardonnay packed with white flowers and impressive minerality backed by a bracing acidity and beautiful, rounded flavour. The grapes are hand-picked and then pressed very gently. It was fermented in stainless steel using wild yeasts to provide added complexity.
Notice on the label for this white wine there is no longer the Bourgogne Vézelay appellation because the white wines made in the Vézelay, Asquins, Saint-Père and Tharoiseau communes have been “promoted” to the same level as Volnay and Pommard for example, where they are permitted to just display the name of the lead commune, namely Vézelay. This is recognition of the quality of the white wines being produced here.
RRP: $65 (SOLD OUT)
Montanet-Thoden Bourgogne Cuvée Garance Rouge 2023
Garance is an estate Pinot Noir sourced from parcels in the communes of St Père and Vézelay.
Because the Vézelay appellation is only for white wine, the appellation used for this wine is Bourgogne as you can see on the label.
The vineyards are predominantly red clay with a little limestone. 1/3 was destemmed and macerated for approximately 10 days. 2/3 was kept as whole bunches and macerated for an extra week. After pressing it was aged in barrels. It was racked into tank one month before bottling in June 2024.
Small amounts of sulphites were added after alcoholic and malolactic fermentation was completed and at bottling. It, as usual on this estate for its red wines, not filtered. Certified organic. 13% ABV
RRP: $70 (SOLD OUT)
