Wine Advisor
Etienne Sauzet, Puligny Montrachet 1er Cru Champ Canet 2021
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: William Kelley
This old-vine bottling is always a high point chez Sauzet, and the 2021 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Champ Canet is no exception. Offering up aromas of pear, citrus oil, crisp green apple, toasted nuts and white flowers, it's medium to full-bodied, satiny and layered, with fine depth at the core, racy acids and a taut, electric profile, concluding with a saline finish of impressive persistence.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2021 Puligny-Montrachet Champ Canet 1er Cru, just six barrels from one hectare, conveys a sense of strictness on the nose. Some reduction wades through at the moment, disguising the terroir expression that I suspect will manifest in bottle. The palate is well balanced with just the right amount of bitterness on the entry, a little weightier than other cuvées and a tad more rondeur.
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.
