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Wine Description
The Story
Puligny-Montrachet, along with Chassagne, is the most perfect expression of the Chardonnay grape. The appellation was created in 1937 on « terroirs » separated by only a few metres from the Grands Crus. The white wines have well-defined personalities and an established reputation. The plots which adjoin the hamlet of Blagny produce an excellent red wine from the Pinot Noir grape.
The vines in many cases occupy brown limestone soils, or soils where limestone alternates with marls and limey-clays. Soils are deep in some places. In others, the rock is exposed at the surface. Where there are clayey alluvia, these are coarser higher up and finer at the foot of the slope. Exposures east and south east. Altitudes : 230-320 metres.
White: this wine is a bright gold colour with greenish highlights, becoming more intense with age. The bouquet brings together hawthorn blossoms, ripe grapes, marzipan, hazelnut, amber, lemon-grass and green apple. Milky (butter, hot croissant) and mineral aromas (flint) are commonplace, as is honey. Body and bouquet blend into a subtle harmony. This wine combines grace with a welldefined character and a remarkable concentration.
Red: the red wine is bright ruby when young, darkening with age. Its bouquet is divided between small red fruits (raspberry gooseberry) and black fruits (blackcurrant blackberry) later shifting towards leather, musk and fur. Tender and well-fruited, it is well put-together and does well with several years' aging.
White: Puligny-Montrachet and its Premiers Crus are concentrated and well-bred. Their balance, aromatic complexity, and purified style demand delicate but rich food. They are equally at home with poultry in sauce or veal fried with mushrooms. Their great distinction elicits a grateful response from fattened goose liver (foie gras), lobster, crawfish, and grilled or fried sea-fish. On the cheese-board, its natural allies are goat cheeses, Reblochon, or soft-centred cheeses like Brie de Meaux.Serving temperature: 11 to 13 °C
Red: its opulent and fleshy structure will lend lusciousness and fullness to veal, pork, and roast fowl, as well as to hard cheeses like Comté.
Serving temperature: 14 to 16 °C
Vintage 1996
1996 VINTAGE in Burgundy
Maturity levels were in general high following a long hot summer. The wines from the famous Pinot Noir have an intense ruby red colour with lush red fruit aromas. They are wines that are comparable with the outstanding 88s and 89s. The whites are just as outstanding full-bodied with elegant vibrant Chardonnay fruit and sweet white flower and grilled nut aromas. These are wines that have the potential to age magnificently.
Each harvest we hope for three things, favorable weather conditions, healthy grape clusters and high sugar levels. The 1996 harvest provided all of these. April was particularly sunny and brought about an early bud burst (18th of April). Following this we had what can be described as a flash flowering which leads to good pollination, creating high yields.
Arean had low rainfall levels, a sturdy breeze (which kept rot to a minimum) and a long ripening period. These factors created high sugar levels and good acidity within the grapes. Cloud cover in August, combined with the coldest September on record meant that the sugar levels were exceptionally high and so was the acidity: 12% potential alcohol with 5.5g of acidity for Corton Reds and 13%-14% potential alcohol with 6g of acidity for Corton Charlemagne.
As a result, most are very pleased with the 1996 vintage. The reds have an intense color, good tannin structure and concentrated Pinot Noir flavor. The white wines are also impressive, containing plenty of rich fruit character, a crisp acidity and are already showing an attractive bouquet.