Wine Advisor
Etienne Sauzet, Batard Montrachet Grand Cru 2009
View analysis
Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2009 Batard-Montrachet reveals considerable body and heft in its exuberant fruit. This is all about fruit, textural richness and sheer depth. The aromas and flavors build impressively towards the explosive finish. At the same time, there are elements of restraint that add balance. The Batard needs a few years in bottle to settle down, but it is a big wine and is likely to always speak with a certain amount of gravitas. The Batard is made from two parcels; the first just on top of Bienvenues, the second on the Chassagne side, vinified separately. Anticipated maturity: 2014+. This is a beautiful set of wines from Etienne Sauzet. Proprietor Gerard Boudot emphasized the importance of keeping yields low and picking early. The harvest began on September 7. Boudot did a very light batonnage, and the wines saw approximately 20% new oak. The 2009s were bottled beginning in August 2010, but the premier and grand crus weren’t bottled until March 2011. Importer: Vineyard Brands, Birmingham, AL; tel. (205) 980-8802
About the Producer
Etienne Sauzet is an estate based in Puligny-Montrachet, making some of the most sought-after Chardonnay wines in Burgundy. Sauzet's wines are prized for their elegance at village level and for their extra weight and concentration at Premier and Grand Cru level. The portfolio includes leading examples of Chevalier-Montrachet, Le Montrachet and Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru Champs Gain. The domaine is made up of 15 hectares (37 ac) of estate vineyards split between the communes of Puligny-Montrachet, Cormot-le-Grand and Chassagne-Montrachet with small amounts of fruit externally sourced. The grapes are fermented in oak and aged in barrel for around a year – premier crus see up to 33-percent new oak, while grand crus get 40-percent. After barrel aging, the wines are racked into tanks for another six months on lees. Etienne Sauzet was established at the forefront of Puligny-Montrachet production by Etienne Sauzet himself (1903-1975). His 12 hectare (30 ac) estate was taken over by his son-in-law Gérard Boudot, although in 1991 Boudot's cousin Jean-Marc Boillot took out his share of vineyards, requiring Boudot and his family to make additional acquisitions to bring the property back to its current size.
