Wine Advisor
Etienne Sauzet, Montrachet Grand Cru 2022
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: William Kelley
The 2022 Montrachet Grand Cru is seamless and complete, bursting with aromas of pear, peach and melon mingled with mint, white flowers and freshly baked bread. Full-bodied, ample and satiny, with a layered and enveloping core of fruit, it's an impressive effort produced from purchased must.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2022 Montrachet Grand Cru is habitually never the most expressive at this stage, eventually unfolding with green apples, freshly sliced pear and light flinty aromas. There is something a bit sultry about the aromatics. The palate is well-balanced with a fine bead of acidity, hints of orange pith and tangerine, and very fine depth with exquisite composure towards the finish. Long and sensual, this is a superb "Monty" from winemaker Benoît Riffault.
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.
