2012 Puligny Montrachet Les Caillerets

The 2012 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Le Cailleret, which comes from a 0.85-hectare parcel on rocky soils, came across as laconic, broody an introspective on the nose, gradually opening with light mineral aromas. The palate is fresh and vibrant with a lively citrus and almost effervescent core. This actually improves the more it remains in the mouth and there is a lovely touch of ginger on the finish. This is a wonderful Puligny Le Cailleret that shimmers with class and breeding. Dare I say that it has the hubris to outclass the Corton-Charlemagne. I was interested to learn that when Hubert de Montille inherited his father’s vines in 1947, it consisted of just three hectares. Over the years he built up both his family’s holdings and his reputation from his base in Volnay, not far from Michel Lafarge, while running a successful law firm in Dijon. During the 1990s he gradually handed over the running to his son Etienne, who was working in the financial sector and his daughter Alix, married to Jean-Marc Roulot. It was during Etienne’s tenure at Credit Foncier that he was charged with running Chateau de Puligny-Montrachet. That was probably when I first met him, somewhere around 1998, the first time accompanied by his father. Etienne is not a man to take things easy. He established a negociant business in 2003 (Les Deux Montille) that is based in the old Bouchard Pere cellars on the outskirts of Meursault, converted the vineyard to organic viticulture in 1995 and then biodynamic in 2005. Though certified by Ecocert in 2012 he has always been less dogmatic about it than others practitioners. The biggest development in recent years is the acquisition of the mouth-watering Thomas-Moillard holdings in 2005 in conjunction with Domaine Dujac and outside investors. If I am to be honest, the rapid changes have made it difficult to keep up with the changes, not that anyone is protesting against improvements. I guess it is just a case of keeping pace with Etienne! Today they tend just over 20 hectares of vine of which three-quarters are either premier or grand cru. See also Chateau du Puligny-Montrachet. As usual, there is a clutch of excellent wines here, each appearing to articulate the vagaries of each terroir with style. Importer: Martin Scott Wines, Little Neck, NY; tel. (516) 327-0808

(still finishing its malo; in 20% new oak): Pale green-yellow. Lemon, lime, green apple and talc on the nose, along with lovely spicy minerality. Citrussy and penetrating on the palate, displaying terrific cut to the racy flavors of lime, mint, white pepper, spices and crushed rock. Still a bit disjointed, with the oak not yet fully integrated, but has very good potential. This parcel, along with the estate's Chevalier-Montrachet, was hit by hail at the beginning of August, noted Alix de Montille, who made barely 40% of a normal crop and did not use the press wine in this cuvee. (The Meursault Narvaux was in an oxidative phase in the latter half of its malolactic fermentation and could not be assessed with confidence, and the penetrating Corton-Charlemagne was dominated by a green apple note of malic acidity.)