Region: Burgundy, France

Vintage: 2016

Composition: 100% Chardonnay

History: The history of this domaine dates to the beginning of the 20th century, when Etienne Sauzet inherited and bought several plots of vines in the village of Puligny-Montrachet. The vines passed through the family to Jeanine Boillot, Sauzet’s granddaughter. Jeanine and her husband, Gérard Boudot, managed the domaine, making many modernizations including improved vinification techniques and biodynamic farming. Today the domaine has been passed to their daughter Emilie and her husband, Benoît Riffault, who continue to produce white wines that are among the most sought-after in all of Burgundy. Although the winemaking techniques have been modernized, M. Sauzet’s traditions of estate-bottling and of aging the wines on their lees for 10-12 months to “nourish them” are still respected and result in superbly finished, fruity, and full-bodied wines. After four generations, Sauzet is still synonymous with high-quality, elegant, Burgundian Chardonnay.

Tasting Notes:

A powerful nose so intense you can smell the ripeness of the year but without any evidence alcohol. On the palate, a massive fruit bomb, like a grand cru. Long and meaty fruit, chewy, with dried apricot. Very lacy in texture too, a combination of power and finesse, like Combettes at its essence; as good an expression of Chardonnay as you are going to get and still just be a premier cru.