Puligny-Montrachet "1er Cru Les Perrieres", Etienne Sauzet, Burgundy, FR, 2023

What a glorious nose! Toasted honey-oat bread and apple cobbler push out of the glass. The palate is silky smooth with a gentle, custardy feel. Intensely concentrated fruit and pronounced minerality sashay through the pitch-perfect ripe fruit. At 0.7 ha, this is the fourth largest Premier Cru at the domaine.

The 2023 Puligny-Montrachet les Referts 1er Cru shows a little more ripeness and tropical traits than other cuvées from Sauzet. Its bouquet features notes of pineapple, nectarine and citrus peel, yet there remains delineation and mineralité that upholds a sense of Puligny-Montrachet. The palate is well balanced and weighty in the mouth, but I admire the tension and poise. It gradually builds toward the harmonious and subtle spice on the finish. Give this time. (NM)

Note: 35+ year old vines planted in relatively deep soil interspersed with lots of gravel; aged in 33% new wood. Pungent aromas of moderate reduction and wood toast prevent an assessment of the nose. More interesting are the succulent, round and caressing middle weight flavors that possess solid volume and power that seems to build on the compact, sappy and well-balanced finale. Fine development potential here. *Outstanding*