COMO sets up a home in Puligny-Montrachet
Small village but great appellation, and a gorgeous hotel. Welcome to this Burgundy fiefdom where traditions are still very much alive, where knowledge has become etiquette, where receiving guests has turned into an art.
At the beginning of July, Puligny-Montrachet was more festive than ever. Indeed, as 2025 marked the 10th anniversary of the inscription of the Climats, terroirs of Burgundy on UNESCO’s World Heritage List, this village of 353 inhabitants was at the heart of every celebration. Little reminder: the Climats are land parcels (usually miniature-sized) delimited on a particular spot. The land is cultivated, pampered even, in order to produce its own unique wine, named after the plot.
A miraculous start
This treasure was founded more than a thousand years ago. Inspired by the sky light and the stormy weather, Cistercian monks decided that their communion wine deserved better, much better, than a common cheap plonk. Way to go! The Puligny-Montrachet was then born: 8 hectares blessed every morning by a dozen of owners. Each of them has their own Climat delimited on the slopes of mont Rachet, the chubby hillock where Burgundy genius and heritage were celebrated for a night – by 20 delightful comedians.
Five stars at the front
Seated at the centre of the village, at the front row of the celebrations, the COMO hotel was then baptised. The 5 stars proudly worn at the pediment encouraged us to come in. Chef Romain Versino was busy around his stove delivering one of his iconic dishes: snail cromesquis. Long live Burgundy! They were quickly followed by pigeon and foie gras cooked in a cereal crust, the signature dish. Here, the food is high-quality. For the occasion, head sommelier André Berthier exhumed a few bottles – 8 white Burgundy and as many red ones, with a reasonable price – and polished his Burgundy wine station dispenser. The gardeners trimmed the garden’s rose bushes and the hedge surrounding the swimming pool, and COMO Le Montrachet was proved worthy of its location among the Burgundy landscape.
Discreet yet chic
As it should. The owners of the hotel live by their motto: “In Puligny-Montrachet, follow the locals’ lifestyle”. Christina Ong and her daughter Melissa, two Singaporean businesswomen whose initials make for the group’s name – 18 addresses around the world, from Bali to London, and Tuscany to Bhutan – fell in love with this discreet town only a 1-hour drive both from Dijon and Mâcon. Discreet yet chic, with its mansions hiding behind high white-stoned walls. Remember the saying: “Curiosity killed the cat”. Please knock before coming in.
High-flying restaurant
COMO discovered 3 townhouses, with a stunning nineteenth-century classicist fashion. They surround the place du Pasquier-de-la-Fontaine, a green square that echoes the neighbouring Climats. A few million euros of renovation later, the hotel now offers 28 rooms and suites, a high-flying restaurant – kudos for the spacing of the tables that allows you to hold a conversation without any eavesdropping – a convivial bar, a 25-metre pool, a garden and soon, a fitness centre and a spa.
Cosy and intimate
Inside, the hotel welcomes you with the charming atmosphere of a centuries-old family mansion that sheltered every new generation with traditional grace. An atmosphere both cosy, intimate and classy. Take a look at one of the rooms, where pearl grey, periwinkle and sage hues blend with elegance.
Walls, hangings and armchairs are covered in Toile de Jouy prints, echoing the bourgeois style of Puligny-Montrachet viticultural community. COMO’s convenience is completed by simple yet functional modern furniture (flat screen, coffee machine, room service).
40,000 reasons to treasure the place
Prick up your ears: the village’s church bells still ring on time. Since 1779, Notre-Dame de l’Assomption has been watching over this bunch of limestone-walled houses surrounded by vineyards, their treasure – 40,000 bottles sold per year at around €40 a bottle, or even more, way more…
Time to harvest
Now that the Climats celebrations are over, the village is preparing for the grape harvest that will start mid-September. Then, Puligny-Montrachet will reveal its traditional millimetric requirements, from the secateur to the oak barrels. Once again, the autumnal alchemy will occur, turning grape into liquid gold, telling stories of visionary knowledge, celebrating life.
Interested?
Staying in. Hotel COMO Le Montrachet, starting from €350 a night in a double bedroom, and €1,100 in a suite, breakfast included. At the restaurant, à la carte lunch and menu starting from €45, and à la carte dinner and menu starting from €90 (5-course dinner). Vegetarian menus available for both lunch and dinner.
10, Place du Pasquier 21190 Puligny-Montrachet.
Tel.: +33 3 80 21 30 06 – www.comohotels.com
Tasting. Domaine Prosper Maufoux, Château de Saint-Aubin, 5km far from Puligny-Montrachet. Tastings from €37 to €98 per person, according to the chosen activity. Possibility to buy bottles.
Tel.: +33 3 80 20 68 71 – https://prosper-maufoux.com/en