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Bâtard Montrachet 2016 75cl

AOC Grand Cru | Côtes de Beaune | Burgundy | France
CHF 810.75
Critics scores
96 Robert Parker
The 2016 Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru was not too affected by frost according to Benoît, as the vines were partly protected by the wall that runs along the top of the vineyard toward Montrachet. It has a well-defined bouquet with expressive scents of green apple, fresh pear and a slight touch of mint, conveying a sense of coiled-up energy and frisson. The palate is well balanced with a fine thread of acidity, just a little honeyed in texture with quite an intense, spicy finish that leaves you with a positive impression. You know what...this might well turn out to be the best wine from Sauzet this year. Bravo.<br/>Despite a small miscommunication surrounding the timing of our appointment, winemaker Benoît Riffault hastily prepared the barrel samples of 2016. He always seems chipper, with a smile on his face, despite confronting the prospect of frost damage in 2016 that turned out more severe in 2017. “In 2016 there is no Bienvenue-Bâtard-Montrachet, Chassagne-Montrachet or Haut Côtes de Beaune or Puligny Folatières because of the frost,” Benoît lamented. “It was not an easy vintage. The first day of the big frost was crazy, and then the second two frosts affected the village crus. The second problem was mildew pressure during the spring and summer, which altogether means we are 40% down in quantity. We started picking on 20 September and harvested over six days. We did not have to do much sorting, but the difficulty was deciding the exact date to pick in each parcel. The wines are matured in 20% to 30% new oak.” I thought that this was a solid, quite consistent set of wines from Sauzet. Since most of their holdings lie in Puligny, they found some reprieve from the frost thanks to cloud cover the following morning, unlike their neighbors in Chassagne. With the exception of their Truffière and Champ Gain that both seemed to have a mouse on their faces, the premier crus were pleasingly consistent. Among the three grand crus, the Bâtard-Montrachet put in a strong performance and in fact, I found more tension and concentration here compared to either the Chevalier-Montrachet and Montrachet itself.<br/>
Producer
Domaine Etienne Sauzet
Etienne Sauzet created his namesake domaine in the mid 20th century. It was comprised of around 12 hectares and was known as one of the great domaines of Puligny. His son-in-law Gérard, took over in 1974 when Etienne passed away further propelling the quality of the wines and the domaine's reputation. In 1991, the domaine was split up for inheritance purposes amongst three grandchildren - including Jean-Marc Boillot - who decided to take his portion for his own domaine, leaving behind 8 hectares. They produce a myriad of appellations with both domaine and purchased fruit - all from Puligny or Chassagne. Their fruit purchases come from three sources - the original Sauzet vineyards, vineyards that have been purchased by Gérard, as well as vineyards that have been bought more recently by his daughter, Emilie, and her husband, Benoît Riffault. They are able to manage the vineyards as if they were their own. Since 2006, they have farmed the vineyards organically and began following biodynamic practices since 2010. Retaining the vineyard management has enabled them to hit incredible heights retaining the quality of the wines. Even their straight Bourgogne Blanc can be a stunner. Today, both Emilie and Benoît help Gérard run the domaine.