Wine Advisor
Etienne Sauzet, Puligny Montrachet 1er Cru Les Referts 2018
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: William Kelley
Bursting with aromas of citrus zest, smoke, fresh peach and white flowers, Sauzet's 2018 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Referts is medium to full-bodied, satiny and vibrant, its textural attack segueing into a delicately fleshy mid-palate, before concluding with a chalky finish.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2018 Puligny-Montrachet Les Referts 1er Cru comes from two parcels totaling 0.70 hectares, on deeper, more clayey soils than other crus. It has a strict and quite correct bouquet, very focused and stoic at the moment, with flinty, petrichor aromas reluctantly emerging from the glass. The palate is very well balanced, offering pretty orange zest, quince and hints of pawpaw on the entry. A little spicier than Sauzet’s other Premier Crus and commendably persistent on the finish. Very fine and good aging potential.
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.
