2010 Puligny Montrachet Les Pucelles

The 2010 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Pucelles has a more broody nose than one would expect, gradually unfurling to reveal dried honey, peony and quince scents that are clean and pure. The palate is medium-bodied with fine delineation on the entry. Nice tension here, although it needs just a little more complexity and personality on the bitter lemon-tinged finish. I suggest affording this Puligny five or six years in bottle and then you should have a lovely Pucelles. Alas, just two barrels were made in 2010. Drink 2015-2025. This was the first time I had been back to Louis Jadot’s expansive winery on the northern outskirts of Beaune since their memorable 150th anniversary tasting back in 2008. As I quipped in the previous issue, Jacques Lardiere was then talking about his imminent retirement that seemed to never come. But on this occasion, there was new winemaker Frederic Barnier there to greet me. He has large shoes to fill but he seems up to the task of steering this important Burgundy name to a new chapter, having worked alongside Jacques for a couple of years. “At the beginning, we were not so confident about the whites,” he explained in reference to his 2011s, “but it has been a nice surprise. The dry spring of 2011 affected the level of ripeness but it has lent freshness, but with low acidity.” We did not have time to taste the entire portfolio of over 80 crus, but instead took a sample of 20 white and reds from both the 2010 and 2011 vintages. Importer: Kobrand, Purchase, NY; tel. (914) 253-7700