American Alex Gambal has become the first non-French national to own land in a Montrachet site in Burgundy.

The proprietor of Beaune negociant Maison Gambal has bought land from Phillipe Brenot of Domain Brenot in Santenay, Burgundy, Decanter reports.

Mr Gambal's acquisition includes 3.5 hectares of vines Puligny-Montrachet, Chassagne-Montrachet and Santenay.

Les Batards Montrachet, as the parcels are known, can produce around 187 cases of wine each year.

Interestingly, Mr Gambal is to immediately convert the land to biodynamic growing, telling the publication that they will be "using no tractors", while the land will be "ploughed with a horse, with all spraying to be done by hand".

While Mr Gambal may be the first foreign national to buy a Montrachet site, over in Bordeaux overseas investors have acquired a number of sites.

The latest acquisition has seen Chinese jewellery magnate Richard Shen Dongjun buy Chateau Laulan Ducos, with all of the vineyard's wine now being shipped directly to China.