Puligny Montrachet Grand Cru

No relation to the higher and stonier La Garenne, this is from a more prime elevation, between Champs Canet and Folatières on the mid-slope. This is from the Duc de Magenta estate. It’s fine and fresh, with a really good core of acacia and honeysuckle aromas. A little less rich than the 2015, but lively and expressive. Drink 2020-2025.
Adam Bruntlett, Burgundy Buyer

The house of Louis Jadot was founded in 1859 though the family had previously been vignerons in the region, acquiring their famous Clos des Ursules in 1826. The company is today run by Pierre-Henri Gagey, while Frédéric Barnier replaced veteran winemaker Jacques Lardière in 2013. Louis Jadot owns over 60 hectares of vineyard, many of them Premier and Grand Cru. Recent developments have included the establishment of the tonnellerie Cadus in Ladoix-Serrigny and expansion of the modern winery facilities on the Route de Savigny, with a new white-wine vinification centre completed in 2009. Jadot’s harvest ran from 25th September to 14th October, with conditions marked by cool winds and sunshine. For the whites, malolactic fermentation was blocked to leave one to 1.5 grams of malic acid. The idea is to use this freshness as a textural component to help the wines during their maturation, much like tannin in red wines. Jadot’s choice of Diam corks since 2011 has allowed a reduction in the level of SO2, lowering the level of reduction and also any sharpness that can evolve with SO2 and malic acid in combination.

Around 30 percent down due to frost this year, this is a wine of wonderful purity and elegance, from the delicate, peach and citrus-scented nose through to the fine, precise and mineral palate. There is still an underlying sensation of brooding power which will no doubt open out to fill the palate, and a lovely finish of toasty oak. Drink 2023-2033.
Adam Bruntlett, Burgundy Buyer

At 115 hectares, Domaine Joseph Faiveley is one of the biggest domaines in Burgundy. The company has been based in Nuits-St Georges since the days of Pierre Faiveley who founded the business in 1825. His son Joseph gave his name to the family business, to be followed by the first François, Georges who helped found the Chevaliers du Tastevin, Guy who developed the business in the Côte Chalonnaise, François who has retired and now his son Erwan, born in 1979. The change of generation has dynamised the business: there’s been a notable expansion of vineyards, including Domaines Annick Parent, Monnot and Matrot- Wittersheim in the Côte de Beaune, as well as Dupont-Tisserandot (Gevrey) and Billaud- Simon (Chablis). Old-style Faiveley wines could be massively tannic at the expense of the fruit. From 2007 the wines are much fresher and fruitier, yet with real intensity. Harvest began on the 22nd September in the Côte de Beaune, taking an unusually long three weeks to ensure everything was fully ripe. In terms of frost damage, the Côte de Beaune was worst-hit, along with some Gevrey parcels, but where there was no frost damage, the yields were good. Stylistically, the red wines have seen slightly less whole-bunch than in 2015, and the wines continue in the new, more elegant style. The feeling is that 2016 reds are fresher and crunchier than 2015, while Erwan suggests that the white wines have the potential to be better than 2014.

The estate has nearly a quarter of a hectare here, but suffered a 50 percent loss in 2016. Marvellously intense, this has an ethereal, cool, stone component – a classic character of this vineyard, with a lick of exotic nectarine on the finish. It was matured equally in a mixture of standard and demis, and with more and longer lees contact than usual, to feed the wine’s textural volume. It will need patience. Drink 2022-2032.
Adam Bruntlett, Burgundy Buyer

The Château de Puligny-Montrachet was a slumbering force until finally being awoken by the arrival of Étienne de Montille in time to oversee the 2001 vintage. Under Étienne, yields have been drastically reduced and the wines are handled much more sympathetically in the cellar so that the quality of the fruit dominates the oak. In 2012 Étienne and investors purchased the property and have radically reformed the estate, dropping unsuitable vineyards, converting to organic (and indeed biodynamic) farming, and further improving the winemaking. It was a successful vintage here in terms of quality, under the eye of cellar master Brian Sieve. He recounts how the lower slopes of Puligny-Montrachet and the Bourgogne Blanc vineyards on the plain escaped nearly all the frost, but the lower Meursault vineyards were almost entirely affected. For Château de Puligny-Montrachet, this is a good vintage – maybe lacking the flesh of a truly great year, but equally delicious in its accessibility. Not all the vineyards suffered, but there were, nevertheless, some serious reductions in certain sites.

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The 2013 Le Montrachet Grand Cru has a very reserved bouquet, a light marine influence coming through with aeration of shucked oyster shells and a smidgen of orange rind. The palate is fresh and crisp, compact, more austere than the two Chevaliers at the moment, with very laconic, tight-lipped finish compared to others that I have tasted. Let’s see...this is giving away zilch at the moment! 
Neal Martin - Wine Advocate - eRobertParker.com - Dec 2014
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Excellent, clear and bright, there is very little nose at this early stage but sublime fruit on the palate, with a mineral core and exceptional persistence. It offers intensity rather than weight, with maybe a little pear and white peach fruit leading to a fabulous finish. Grand vin.
Jasper Morris MW, Burgundy Wine Director

In response to the very small concentrated berries which characterise the fruit in 2012, Philippe Prost, head winemaker, has opted for more whole bunch fermentation this year, up to 25% per cuvée. The wines are exceptionally intense, so a little leavening by the inclusion of some stems makes sense. The white wines are bursting with energy, clearly amongst the successes of the vintage.

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At this early stage the oak is more evident than for the straight Chevalier-Montrachet, perhaps hiding the fruit a touch on the nose. However, in the mouth the fruit shows incredible weight and energy, with opulent peaches and nectarines, all in a coating of expensive wood. 
Jasper Morris, MW - Wine Buyer

The 2013 grapes were picked between 30th September and 11th October. The white skins were fragile so pressing was very gentle, the reds more robust and capable of a good proportion of whole bunch fermentation. Most wines are now in tank with bottling a little earlier than usual. An exceptional range of reds in particular from Bouchard this year.

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Pure, bright colour, there is a touch of beneficial reduction, while demonstrating the softer approach of Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet compared to neighbouring Bâtard. This is a graceful, ethereal wine, absolutely singing; with the flowers, fruit and minerals all perfectly blended in. Enormously long and really seductive.

The domaine has developed its white wine holdings, with four new cuvées this year, arising out of Boisset’s purchase of Vincent Girardin’s business. Girardin had farming arrangements in Puligny- Montrachet, Puligny-Montrachet Champ Gain Premier Cru, Bienvenues-Bâtard- Montrachet Grand Cru and a tiny holding of Chevalier-Montrachet: Monsieur Boisset has now bought these vineyards. As well as these excellent whites, Pierre Vincent considers 2014 to be one of his best red wine vintages, with something in common with 2006 and 2010.

This is also everything it should be, and more. Floral to some extent, with magically intense fruit, which keeps growing on the nose. It has sublime concentration, huge density, lively and dancing, with strong shoulders, yet a perfectly formed waistline, and muscular energy throughout.

“To sum up: summer weather in spring, autumn weather in summer, and then back to summer in September.” Picking started on 12th September and continued for two weeks with respectable yields overall, but once again there was very little fruit in the Beaune vineyards such as Clos des Mouches. The Drouhin style is perfectly attuned to the character of 2014 reds, while this is definitely the best range we have ever seen of white wines here.

This wine was in a very backward state when we tasted in November, so the detail of the fruit was not evident; however the desired weight of fruit is certainly there. It has an enormous concentration on the palate, completed by sparkling acidity and energy. Potentially mind-blowing.

The domaine has developed its white wine holdings, with four new cuvées this year, arising out of Boisset’s purchase of Vincent Girardin’s business. Girardin had farming arrangements in Puligny- Montrachet, Puligny-Montrachet Champ Gain Premier Cru, Bienvenues-Bâtard- Montrachet Grand Cru and a tiny holding of Chevalier-Montrachet: Monsieur Boisset has now bought these vineyards. As well as these excellent whites, Pierre Vincent considers 2014 to be one of his best red wine vintages, with something in common with 2006 and 2010.

Very pretty, this is faint yellow with a green touch. It has huge weight through the middle, lemon balm combined with lovely minerals. Lively but still classic, certainly an exceptional aftertaste.

Erwan Faiveley believes that 2014 would be regarded as a great vintage – if only 2015 had not come along to trump it. He feels that the changes which have taken place in the cellar since 2007 have had a discernible effect on the quality of Faiveley wines, while similar qualitative changes in the vineyard are only now bearing fruit. Here, balanced but restricted yields are the key.

From a prime plot of Bâtard with old vines producing regular very small grapes, this is pale and bright in colour, with a magical intensity of chiselled Chardonnay fruit on the nose, it opens out gloriously on the palate, with a little touch of coconut, to very complex, ripe fruit notes but dominated by stone fruit. There is a sense of vibrancy throughout, while layers of fruit keep building in the mouth.
Jasper Morris MW, Burgundy Wine Director

This superb domaine grows in reputation and also in size: this year sees the first vintage of Nuits-St Georges, Clos de Thorey. Look out for even further additions in the next two years. Winemaker Pierre Vincent’s style is for lighter colours and very sensual wines and he has done a cracking job again in 2012; a vintage which supported the plentiful use of whole bunch fermentation. The domaine is certified organic and fully biodynamic.

Just two barrels of this were made, both new oak. The nose is discreet; it is too early for the wine to speak, but the palate has everything – oak, pears, a thread of acidity, cashmere texture and great length. Very fine, persistent finish. Drink 2022-2029.
Jasper Morris MW - Wine Buyer

The biodynamic Bachelet boys, Benoît and Jean-Baptiste, began picking on 3rd September, reporting  very good yields in white, close to the ideal, but down in red. The whites are superb again this year, scarcely showing any sense of heat, but enjoying excellent concentration with good balancing acidity. I would sign up for this every year, says Jean-Baptiste! As always, the wines will stay in barrel for nearly two years before bottling.

Not much deeper in colour than the 1er Crus, though with a touch more oak, this is an ultra-concentrated wine, with pears and plums appearing at the back alongside the fresh acidity. All in balance, the wine is interesting and complex.
Jasper Morris MW, Berrys' Burgundy Director Though 2011 has the reputation of being a large vintage for white wines, this was not the case at Domaine Jean-Noël Gagnard, where many vineyards produced little more than 30 hl/ha. Caroline Gagnard has converted the vineyards to organic farming and the quality of the grapes is evident in this superb range of wines. As ever, this is an outstanding source of Chassagne-Montrachet.

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Apples and orange flowers feature here and offer a certain opulence which is certainly not over the top. Dense, tight, multi-layered and with a feeling of ripeness, it is another stunning Laguiche Montrachet and there is undoubtedly no rush to drink it.
Jasper Morris MW, Berrys' Burgundy Director The lower sugar levels of 2011 suit the Drouhin style and most wines came in at no more than 12.5%, but with a good acid balance. A small percentage of stems were used in 2011, according to the Drouhin’s positive selection method, and grapes deemed worthy of whole bunch fermentation were chosen on the sorting table. We have added two new selections this year, a beautiful village Savigny and a new contract for Drouhin, Chambertin Clos de Bèze. The wines have put on weight in barrel and most will be bottled by the end of 2012. Look out for the very fine whites this year as well.

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Mid yellow in colour, with a delicious bouquet of lovely ripe apples and pears, this has great weight and healthy fresh acidity behind: it is spectacular and quite accessible but will doubtless show more restraint after bottling. This is very obviously grand cru quality.
Jasper Morris, MW - Wine Buyer

A product of their own property, which yielded just two barrels from four ouvrée, this is very deep and exciting. There is lovely weight to this wine, real style and perfect class. The flavours not only linger but deepen after tasting.
Jasper Morris MW,Berrys' Burgundy Director