Puligny Montrachet Grand Cru

There are just three barrels of this, made with purchased grapes – picked by the domaine’s team – from vines planted in 1971. The wine is rich and powerful, but with precise minerality emerging from the mid-palate before finishing on a touch of pleasing sucrosity, while a thread of flinty reduction runs through the wine. Drink 2024-2034.

After studying at business school, Olivier Leflaive headed to Paris to live a rather bohemian life during the 1970s, working in music and television. He returned to Burgundy in 1981 to manage Domaine Leflaive with his uncle Vincent and later his cousin Anne-Claude. Having long aspired to work for himself, he set up his own négociant business in 1984 and, upon leaving the family domaine a decade later, he gave 15 years’ notice that he would take back his share of the family vines from 2009. Experienced winemaker Franck Grux now makes between 85 and 90 different cuvées, vinifying the equivalent of 120 hectares, of which 17 are estate. The focus here is on elegance and finesse over power. 

Franck emphasised the importance of removing excess shoots and buds on the vine early in the season to ensure yields did not become excessive, a practice he encouraged his growers to follow. The results are evident in the wines, which display wonderful concentration and texture, generosity in the mid-palate, precise, direct fruit and a sapid acidity. The excellent natural balance of the wines made vinification relatively straightforward and has yielded wines which Franck describes as “serious” and, in many respects, comparable to the 2014s. Unless otherwise stated, all wines are domaine.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

Pale in colour with a little touch of green, there is a marvellous sense of concentration but not yet much detail on the nose, showing more weight than Vougeraie's elegant Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet. Indeed this is a hugely dense wine demonstrating a succulent richness, with ripe apple notes at the back, yet still perfectly in balance. A major-league wine, this is really stunning. Drink 2020-2028.
Jasper Morris MW, Wine Buyer

This year Pierre Vincent has been able to achieve his aim of an ideal barrel rotation. Each of these wines has been matured in one-third new wood, one-third one-year-old and one-third two-year-old. Because of the exceptional health of the grapes in 2015, he has also been able to vinify all the wines without de-stemming. His 2015 reds are wines of grace and elegance, while the white wines (picked from 28^th August) have an impressive tension alongside a concentration of fruit.

Picked in the sunshine on 28th September, this is a pale, clear yellow, with smoky reduction on some very classy fruit. A huge wealth of multi-layered fruit in the mouth, with exceptional vivacity and a fabulously long finish. Superb in the creamy density of its finish.
Jasper Morris MW - Wine Buyer

The 2013 Montrachet Grand Cru, which comes from the Chassagne side, possesses a very precise bouquet that seems understated when compared to the more hedonistic Chevalier-Montrachet Les Demoiselles. This is much more demure, laid-back...nonchalant even.

The palate is very precise - there is real detail here with delicate spicy notes furnishing the back end of this Montrachet that just expands toward the finish. I think this is keeping everything up its sleeve at the moment, but you cannot deny the balance and focus here. 
Neal Martin - Wine Advocate - eRobertParker.com - Dec 2014

The fortunate Marquis de Laguiche has the biggest holding by far of Le Montrachet with just about 2 hectares. The wine is exceptionally backward at the moment as should perhaps be the case with a wine of this magnitude half way through its lvage but it has a massive presence and a powerfully thick texture which indicate its future quality. Drink 2015-2025+.