Benoit Ente is the younger brother to Arnaud Ente, one of the greatest chardonnay producers in the world, but if he continues on his current trajectory he won’t be known as the “other”
Ente for long. While Benoit has been making wine since the late 80s, it wasn’t until 1997 that he was able to acquire his own vineyards. He inherited less than 4 hectares almost exclusively in
Puligny Montrachet, as well as small plots in
Chassagne-Montrachet and Meursault. 

At the outset, Benoit began making wines that focused on richness, power, and weight by using a higher percentage of new oak and frequent battonage to give density. Like many passionate, young vignerons, he wanted to make a statement. With maturity however comes a greater perspective and following the 2004 harvest, Benoit has steadily evolved to the point where today, he is making wines of incredible purity and balance.

Benoit’s wines are precise and focused with a tension to them that is not unlike a coiled spring waiting to unfurl. On the palate, his wines do just that and the tightly knit structure detected on the nose is revealed in layers of complexity. Not surprisingly, Benoit no longer employs the higher percentage of new oak on his wines,
nor does he stir the lees like before, preferring to do as little as possible in the winery. He likes acidity in his wines feeling that the acidity is the backbone that gives the wines freshness as well as longevity in the cellar.