chassagne-montrachet
Chassagne-Montrachet is an old Gallo-Roman market town which was called Cassaneas or Cassania.
Chassagne was at stake during the war between the Duke of Burgundy and the King of France. It was burnt down in 1476 by the French troops ( Louis XI) when the local lord decided to side with Marie de Bourgogne, heiress of Charles le Téméraire (Charles the Reckless)
The village rose from its ashes thanks to François de Ferrières who built a chapel consecrated to St Marc where the Church stands.
The monk who founded the Priory of Morgeot revamped the country and planted new vine stocks. The first vine stocks had been planetd by the Roman emperor Probus in 281 A.D in the hamlet called Morgoet.
Before 1000 A.D the village was know for the Clos St Jean owned by Saint-Jean-le-Grand Abbaye which had been founded by Brunehaut in 589 AD.
Click on the map to enlarge
The first written written evidence about the village date back to the French Revolution as land and vineyards were registered on Feb 24, 1791.
Charles Paquelin, a winegrower, wrote about the daily life in the village between 1789 and 1806, during the French revolutionary era.
As for the well-known name "Montrachet", it can be found in the title of the Abbaye known as Maizières in 1252, "Mont Rachaz" in 1742 and "Montrachet" in 1473.
This name comes from a few characteristics : a bare and rocky hill where boxtrees and thorny shrubs were the only plants to be found.
The decree of Nov 27, 1879 allows to change the name of the village : from Chassagne-le-Haut to Chassagne-Montrachet (say”Morachet”).
We can’t explain why « du Haut »(the high) had been added to Chassagne as the village is located on a plain .
The name « «Montrachet » reminds us of the well known vineyard climate which was the first to produce white wine.
Thus, the name « Chassagne-Montrachet » helps to make this great wine known to the world and to develop local trade.
(source : www.chassagne-montrachet.com)