2009 Puligny-Montrachet Villages, Domaine Henri Boillot

Henri Boillot

Henri Boillot has in a very short space of time build an extraordinary reputation for the sheer quality of his Burgundy wines. To call the the Henri Boillot label a mini-negoce does the wines a great disservice as, although Henri does not own the vineyards from which the grapes are sourced, he farms them as meticulously as if they were is own.

They are only ‘mini’ perhaps in the tiny levels of wine produced from each appellation. The meticulous and elegant Henri Boillot also owns and manages the Domaine founded by his grandfather. The sheer quality of these wines, including the impressive and exclusive Les Mouchères monopole, is testimony to the assiduous work he has done in both the vineyards and cellar.

Herni's wines inlcude several Premier Crus from Meursault (Les Poruzots, Les Charmes, Les Genevrières, Les Perrières),  Puligny Montrachet (les Folatières, les Perrières, les Pucelles, les Mouchères), Chassagne-Montrachet (Chevenottes, Embrazees), Volnay and Savigny-les-Beaune.

Chardonnay

Chardonnay is often seen as the king of white wine grapes and one of the most widely planted in the world It is suited to a wide variety of soils, though it excels in soils with a high limestone content as found in Champagne, Chablis, and the Côte D`Or.

Burgundy is Chardonnay's spiritual home and the best White Burgundies are dry, rich, honeyed wines with marvellous poise, elegance and balance. They are unquestionably the finest dry white wines in the world. Chardonnay plays a crucial role in the Champagne blend, providing structure and finesse, and is the sole grape in Blanc de Blancs.

It is quantitatively important in California and Australia, is widely planted in Chile and South Africa, and is the second most widely planted grape in New Zealand. In warm climates Chardonnay has a tendency to develop very high sugar levels during the final stages of ripening and this can occur at the expense of acidity. Late picking is a common problem and can result in blowsy and flabby wines that lack structure and definition.

Recently in the New World, we have seen a move towards more elegant, better- balanced and less oak-driven Chardonnays, and this is to be welcomed.