Puligny-Montrachet Les Caillerets

Jean-Baptiste feels that the vines in this vineyard are getting into their stride now that they have passed their 35th anniversary. It is hard to disagree; the wine is floral and mineral with a laser-like focus and purity, but with the stuffing to steer clear of any feeling of meanness or austerity. An excellent, benchmark Cailleret. Drink 2023-2030.
Adam Bruntlett, Burgundy Buyer

The Bouzereau clan is widespread in the village of Meursault, with Domaine Michel Bouzereau at the forefront. Jean-Baptiste Bouzereau, Michel’s son, is now in sole charge. He moved to a purpose-built winery in 2009 which has made the winemaking a great deal easier to manage and has enabled Jean-Baptiste to refine his style towards greater purity as well as more substance. The wines are racked after 11 months, with the better village Meursaults and all the Premiers Crus being returned to barrel for additional ageing, before bottling early the following year. Jean-Baptiste explained that frost was more of a problem in the lower-lying Grands Charrons vineyard than Tessons and the Premiers Crus which sit on the slope. Overall he is around a third down on a normal year, mainly in the lesser appellations. Harvest began on 22nd September for the whites, and took place in good conditions. He feels that 2016 is a vintage which will appeal to Burgundy lovers, and one which shows each terroir with great clarity.

lively, stimulating, mineral bouquet: very stylish, with superb backbone through the middle, long and fine, accompanying a mix of different fruits, which are more white than yellow.

Jean-Baptiste liked the fruit and the flesh of his 2014s from the start, but since October he feels that the structure and sense of class have become apparent. He was happily surprised to find such regular, healthy fruit despite the hail, and, apart from the size of the crop, there was no discernible difference between the hailed vineyards and the others. Overall his crop was 40 percent below a normal year, and 10 percent below 2013, so his pricing this year is eminently fair.

This had just been racked, so was not yet clear. Quite a pale colour; the wine has a gentle, discreet nose, beautiful fruit, good ripeness, with multi-layered Cailleret minerals and graceful, dancing fruit all the way to the finish. This should grow into a truly fabulous wine.

Étienne de Montille began picking whites on 10th and reds on 13th September, relatively early. Despite the hail (worst in Pommard than Beaune, Volnay less) yields were slightly improved compared to 2013. The fruit was clean with small berries, and beautiful clusters, so they were able to continue with their usual programme of whole-bunch vinification in most instances. The details are given for each wine. They will be long lived wines.

Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Le Cailleret is fresh and appealing from the floral bouquet onwards. A fully ripe wine with a beautiful broad palate and plenty of flesh. Very distinguished, this is likely to be accessible early.

At the same height as Le Montrachet, and with vines on the southern edge of the vineyard, this really is a mini Grand Cru. There is something effortless about its precision this year, enhanced by the domaine ’s decision to reduce its exposure to the lees, allowing the wine’s salinity to find better expression. Very fine indeed, with swirling hints of slate and citrus. Drink 2020-2030.
Adam Bruntlett, Burgundy Buyer

Domaine de Montille was developed by Hubert de Montille (1930-2014), a prominent Dijon lawyer, who inherited 2.5 hectares of vineyards in Volnay in 1947. Over the years he acquired further parcels in Volnay, Pommard and Puligny-Montrachet Les Caillerets. Today the business is run by his son Étienne who has extended the domaine by purchases of vineyards in Beaune, Corton and the Côte de Nuits, including some marvellous Vosne-Romanée Les Malconsorts. The vineyards are farmed biodynamically and the red wines are increasingly vinified with whole bunches. Following the splendid successes here in 2015, this vintage provides a contrast in style, but with reasons to buy that are just as compelling. Volumes are down in certain appellations and winemaking has been tempered to release more of the vintage’s purity of fruit and definition of terroir. Use of whole bunches for the reds continues, but not by rote, with proportions being adjusted according to each cuvée ’s requirements.

A fine site, running north from Le Montrachet and can, in the right hands, be considered better than wines like Btard-Montrachet. And these are the right hands. From 2009.