2022 Puligny-Montrachet, Etienne Sauzet, Burgundy

The 2022 Puligny-Montrachet Village, from the usual 12 parcels, has a fragrant bouquet of Golden Delicious and light earthy scents, well-defined with good vigour. The palate is well-balanced with a sapid entry and a touch of bitter lemon, quite taut towards the finish with decent length. Typically Puligny in style, this should give a decade of drinking pleasure. “The growing season was not too difficult without too much stress,” winemaker Benoît Riffault tells me in a new tasting room whose huge oval window affords a splendid view across Puligny towards Les Pucelles. “But I needed to be careful with my Puligny Village as the sugar level goes up more quickly towards the end compared to the Premier Crus, which has a steadier accumulation. I started the harvest on August 24. The idea was to pick a bit earlier than 2020, where maybe I had a small mistake in terms of alcohol levels. [In 2022] I wanted to capture more freshness. The vinification was normal; the Premier Crus aged in between 15% and 25% new oak using foudres for the entry-level cuvées and 350-litre barrels used in some wines. The wines will be bottled from January onwards.” This was a very fine set of 2022s from Sauzet, despite losing his Chevalier-Montrachet after Bouchard Père & Fils stopped selling fruit. My pick would be his Puligny-Montrachet Les Truffières and Les Combettes. The Montrachet is outstanding, and for those whose wallets don’t stretch that far, check out his Puligny-Montrachet Sous le Puits.Drink 2025 - 2035Neil Martin, Vinous.com.com (January 2024)

Fresh lemon and lime colour. The little lime note is there again. This is delicious on the palate, fills out a little more, retaining a chalky note. Balanced, precise and long.Drink 2026 - 2030Jasper Morris MW, insideburgundy_com (December 2023)