Critic ratings
vinous
2019
Rating:
93
–95
The 2019 Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru was served before the Bâtard-Montrachet as Riffaut finds this more elegant. It has a sophisticated bouquet with scents of orange blossom, tinned apricot, mirabelle and a cheeky hint of curry leaf. This is open and expressive. The palate is very well balanced with a fine bead of acidity, concentrated yet, as Riffaut suggested, a more elegant and feminine Chevalier than previous vintages with long sustain on the finish. Lovely, though maybe not as profound as the Bienvenues.
vinous
2017
Rating:
93
–96
Pale, green-tinged yellow. Lovely lift to the aromas of lime zest, white flowers and powdered stone. Dense, salty and penetrating, conveying an impression of mineral depth without any weight. Very zesty wine--distinctly lemon-limey in the context of this collection. Finishes subtly saline and very long, with a mouth-drying element of powdered stone and terrific floral lift.
vinous
2018
Rating:
94
–96
The 2018 Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru comes from bought-in grapes sourced from the upper sector. It has a fragrant, floral bouquet with dandelion scents filtering through the citrus fruit, although I actually prefer the gung-ho aromatics of the Bâtard by comparison. The palate is very well balanced with a slightly honeyed texture on the entry. There is a lovely spicy undertow here, and an intense lemongrass-infused finish that lingers 45-plus seconds in the mouth. Very fine. Four barrels produced.
robert_parker
2018
Rating:
93
–95
A cuvée produced from purchased must, Sauzet's 2018 Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru delivers a pretty bouquet of citrus oil, white flowers, fresh peach and clear honey. Full-bodied, ample and incisive, it's beautifully defined, even if it can't match the depth and concentration of the Bâtard and Bienvenues.
robert_parker
2019
Rating:
91
–93
Open and expressive, Sauzet's 2019 Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru bursts with notes of citrus oil, white flowers, toasted nuts and ripe apples. Medium to full-bodied, round and charming, it's lively and saline, with an open but precise profile. This appears to be a giving, immediate wine in the making.
robert_parker
2014
Rating:
94
–96
The 2014 Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru takes a few swirls of the glass to really get going, eventually developing subtle peardrop and nectarine notes that patiently wait behind the stony veneer. The palate is crisp and fresh on the entry with a fine line of acidity, brisk and lively, hints of peach and pineapple coming through on the seductive and flattering finish that has plenty of roundness. This is just gorgeous, but it needs several years in the cellar.
robert_parker
2015
Rating:
93
–95
The 2015 Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru has a powerful, almost show-stopping bouquet with intense yellow plum, Mirabelle and grey slate-like aromas that are beautifully defined. The palate is very well balanced, harnessing the richness of the growing season by keeping a tight rein thanks to the terroir. Great depth here, superb acidity and the finish is very complex, with hints of almond and grilled walnut on the persistent finish. This is an impressive Chevalier-Montrachet that represents a very worthy follow-up to the 2014.
robert_parker
2016
Rating:
91
–93
The 2016 Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru was touched by the frost so that there are just two barrels instead of four. It turns the amp up on the Bâtard-Montrachet with even more expressive, mint-tinged citrus fruit complemented by scents of quince and passion fruit. There is just a slight hint of VA but nothing much. The palate is very well balanced with a ripe, saline entry, good weight in the mouth and a slightly rounded, dense finish that just misses the precision of either the 2014 or 2015, or even the detail of the Bâtard-Montrachet. Let's see how this evolves in bottle because at the moment the Bâtard-Montrachet is a couple of furlongs ahead (at least in barrel).
robert_parker
2009
Rating:
96
–96
The estate’s 2009 Chevalier-Montrachet possesses breathtaking textural elegance and silkiness. It is a seamless, elegant wine of the highest level. In fact, nothing seems to stand out, as the wine captivates all of the senses in equally stunning fashion. White flowers and light floral honey wrap around the sublime, eternal finish. This is a true stand out. Dazzling. 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
robert_parker
2012
Rating:
94
–96
The 2012 Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru comes from grapes stationed at the top of the slope. It has an open, airy bouquet that reveals hints of mint and licorice as it opens up, becoming more exotic with each swirl. The palate is well-balanced, vibrant and complex, certainly evoking a more ostentatious take on the climat with an animated, spicy, mint-tinged finish that fans across the mouth and lingers long after the wine has departed. This tenacious Chevalier-Montrachet brims over with personality and substance, daring to outclass old “Monty”. And you know what? I think it does.
Etienne Sauzet has been a source of fine Puligny wines since I first dipped my toe into Burgundy. I visited their winery located on the fringe of Puligny that was constructed just over ten years ago: a tastefully furnished facility equipped with a comfortable tasting room, ideal for laptops tired of being precariously balanced between barrels. Sauzet’s policy has been to buy in fruit to augment their own 9.5-hectare of holdings, almost exclusively from within Puligny-Montrachet. The original parcels had been accumulated by Etienne Sauzet in the 1920s and expanded in piecemeal fashion until 1989, whereupon his daughter divided their vineyards for tax purposes. After almost inevitable familial dissention the holdings were splintered to form domains Jean-Marc Boillot (based in Pommard and taking a significant proportion of the vines) and Henri Boillot (Volnay). Together they essentially deprived daughter Jeanine and her husband Gerard Boudot of the lion’s share of their premier crus. Ergo from 1991 Gerard and Jeanine supplemented the family’s remaining vines with out-sourced fruit and set about rebuilding their own portfolio in Batard-Montrachet and Bienvenue-Batard-Montrachet. Jeanine’s son-in-law Benoit Riffault, who escorted me through their 2012s, commented that these days the domaine is out-sourcing less than previously. Now approximately 15% of fruit is bought in through contracts and I can imagine that figure might ultimately be zero. Their portfolio did not go unscathed by the difficult growing season. There were one or two esteemed premier crus such as Les Folatieres and Les Champs Canet whereby the triple whammy of hail damage confiscated the wines of their usual breeding. Some of these parcels were up to 80% down and the total crop was depleted by half. Fortunately, they are in the minority. Otherwise, I found that their best wines were brimming over with vigor and tension, encapsulating the mineralite of their terroirs. Sauzet’s wines can sometimes be obscured by sulfur in their youth. However, I did not find such problems here. And I feel that as the domaine as relied less and less on out-sourced fruit, so their wines have become more and more consistent. In 2012 they are crowned by a scintillating Chevalier-Montrachet that ranks as one of the finest that I tasted. If that is beyond your means, then apart from some outstanding premier crus, their Puligny village cru is as dependable as ever. Spotting a couple of palates of village cru destined for “The Wine Society” in the UK, I imagined a lot of satisfied members savoring this superb wine over the next three or four years. N.B. Readers can view Benoit expressing his opinions of the 2012 vintage on www.erobertparker.com.
Importer: Vineyard Brands, Birmingham, AL; tel. (205) 980-8802
robert_parker
2013
Rating:
93
–95
The 2013 Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru has a brooding intensity on the nose: citrus peel, wet stone (more granitic than the Bâtard-Montrachet at this stage), accompanied by subtle scents of white chocolate and brioche. The palate is fresh and vibrant with well-executed acidity, gradually building to another marine-influenced finish that lingers long and tenderly in the mouth. Is it better than the outstanding Bâtard-Montrachet? Let’s wait and see…
robert_parker
2003
Rating:
86
–88
The aromatically demure 2003 Chevalier-Montrachet (white) is a tightly wound wine with herbal, apple, and steely mineral flavors. Light-bodied and unwilling to blossom on the palate, it is restrained and crystalline. Drink it over the next 5-6 years.
Importer: Vineyard Brands, Birmingham, AL; tel. (205) 980-8802
robert_parker
1998
Rating:
92
–92
The 1998 Chevalier-Montrachet exhibits acacia blossom and spice aromas. Superbly focused, elegant, and medium-bodied, it is a graceful, feminine wine. Hazelnuts, almonds, minerals, and assorted white flowers can be found in its delicate yet extroverted personality. Readers may be interested to learn that Gerard Boudot said he "adored" this wine, and feels it is one of the classiest he has ever produced.
Importer: Vineyard Brands, Birmingham, AL; tel (205) 980-8802.
robert_parker
1999
Rating:
92
–92
The aromatics of the 1999 Chevalier-Montrachet consist of limestone, minerals, talcum powder and flowers This deep wine is beautifully refined, revealing layers of gravel, stones, and spice flavors in its personality. It is medium-bodied, rich, and it possesses a precise, pure, and extensive finish. Anticipated maturity: 2002-2012.
Importer: Vineyard Brands, Chester, VT; tel (802) 875-2139.
robert_parker
2000
Rating:
92
–93
The mineral and toasted pear-scented 2000 Chevalier-Montrachet is a silky-textured, dense, medium-bodied wine. Immensely elegant and profound, this concentrated, white fruit and gravel-flavored offering has the requisite depth for extended cellaring, yet has the forward fruit required for providing near-term enjoyment. Drink it over the course of the next 12-14 years.
Importer: Vineyard Brands, Birmingham, AL; tel. (205) 980-8802
robert_parker
2001
Rating:
92
–92
Loads of minerals and spices are intermingled with toast in the aromatic profile of the 2001 Chevalier-Montrachet. A wine of exceptional purity as well as elegance, it is light to medium-bodied, and sports a deep, concentrated personality. Its mineral and flower-dominated flavor profile is awesomely detailed. This silky-textured effort lingers on the palate for up to 45 seconds, displaying a myriad of spices awash in minerals. Projected maturity: 2005-2012.
Importer: Vineyard Brands, Birmingham, AL; tel. (205) 980-8802
robert_parker
2002
Rating:
91
–93
Aromatically demure, the 2002 Chevalier-Montrachet presents a silky, velvety personality of quinine, gravel, and pears. It is lively, concentrated, and reveals an admirably long, highly detailed finish. Projected maturity: 2006-2013.
“I have only good things to say about 2002. It is the fourth in a series of good vintages, starting with the 1999s. There was no rot, great maturity, and excellent balance to add backbone,” said Gerard Boudot, Sauzet’s winemaker. He went on to add, “2002 is a very good vintage. Some people compare it to 1996, but those were much more austere wines. Some people speak of 1992, but it is livelier. Maybe it reminds me of 1985.”
Importer: Vineyard Brands, Birmingham, AL; tel. (205) 980-8802
robert_parker
1995
Rating:
93
–93
Displaying flinty and floral aromas on the nose, the Chevalier Montrachet exhibits a fat-textured (not as thick as the Batard), stony and minerally personality. It is more elegant than the Batard, but it does not possess the intense power. Drink this medium-to-full-bodied beauty between 2002-2012. The wine was bottled three days prior to my visit.
This note is the result of tastings I did in Burgundy between January 7 and January 29.
An asterisk indicates that the wine was produced from vineyards owned by this domaine. No asterisk indicates that the wine was produced from purchased fruit, must, or wine.
Boudot believes that what characterizes his lower and medium level wines in the 1995 vintage is abundant concentrated, dry extract fruit - without great balancing acid...I agree. He is extremely excited about the '96s, saying they "exhibit phenomenally concentrated fruit and great balancing acid. "
Importer: Vineyard Brands, Chester, VT; tel (802) 875-2139.
robert_parker
1996
Rating:
92
–92
Produced entirely from purchased wine (as opposed to grapes or must), the Chevalier-Montrachet was aged in 50% new oak. It reveals floral and mineral aromas and has a bone-dry, medium-to-full-bodied, highly-delineated, and focused personality. Flint, slate, chalk, and dusty flavors are found in this precise and persistent wine. Projected maturity: 2002-2006. This wine had been bottled one week prior to my visit, having spent 14 months on its lees.
Importer: Vineyard Brands, Birmingham, AL; tel (205) 980-8802.
