2016 Puligny Montrachet Les Folatieres

Pale, bright yellow. Pure, perfumed scents of white peach, anise, noble herbs and white pepper; the most classic of these '16s on the nose. Then sappy and dense but weightless, displaying more pungency and cut than the Referts. Not a fleshy style but the fine-grained, fully ripe flavors of peach and hazelnut boast excellent punch and clarity, not to mention finesse. The slowly building finish is thick and rich but firm-edged, even a bit youthfully tight (Marc Bachelet told me that he liked the reductive quality some of the estate's 2016s took on during their last months in tank). The Bachelets' vines are on the Meursault side of the appellation, just below La Truffière. Incidentally, the crop level here was 45 hectoliters per hectare in 2016, which Marc Bachelet said was the biggest crop in this premier cru since 2009.

Edge of something floral on top of sweet, ripe, rather bumptious fruit. Not the subtlest but certainly delivers classical citrus refreshment. (JR)

The 2016 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Folatières was apparently much closed the week before I tasted it at the domaine. It offers more complexity and terroir expression on the nose than the Les Referts at this early juncture, with lovely yellow flower and dried honey notes emerging with time as it achieves impressive vigor. The palate is very well balanced with a superb bead of acidity, maybe a little richer than the 2015 last year, with a seductive waxy texture toward the long finish. This is a beautifully crafted Les Folatières from Bachelet-Monnot that comes highly recommended.