2012 Puligny Montrachet Clos de la Garenne Duc de Magenta

Bright yellow. Mirabelle and lemon aromas are accented by a minty nuance. Boasts very good juicy lift to its lemon and peach flavors but less richness and extract than the Folatieres; there was more juice in the Clos de la Garenne grapes, noted Barnier. I like the balance and the vivacity of fruit here. (There's no Pucelles in 2012 as the grower would not give up the fruit.)

The 2012 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Clos de la Garenne has a light but attractive pear drop and peachy bouquet that opens gradually in the glass. The palate is poised with a slightly herbaceous opening. The acidity is nicely judged, though the finish is just a little conservative and restrained at present. It should lose its inhibitions by the time of bottling, but might be one of Jadot's more conservative white 2012s. One statement nonchalantly uttered by head winemaker Frederic Barnier not only summed up the 2012 vintage, but the plight of Burgundy in recent years. -We have lost around one and a half crops out of the last four.- Imagine losing your equivalent income? For a significant negociant such as Louis Jadot, one that under outgoing(ish) winemaker Jacques Lardiere and his successor, have constantly striven for quality, that dearth of fruit has a major impact. The dramatic decrease in crop means that more people are -fighting- for top quality contracted fruit. The rise in land prices has exacerbated the problem as few can afford to buy vineyards and therefore resort to building small negociant businesses and join the queue. Now, small operations that just require one flagship barrel of grand cru might just be able to afford to pay over the odds. However, a merchant such as Jadot simply cannot afford to do that when they need dozens of barrels to satisfy worldwide demand. So how do they do it? -Relationships,- answers Frederic, -It all comes down to relationships with our contracted growers.- For evidence of that, just flick down to my review of their Bienvenue-Batard-Montrachet that came a whisker away from never being made. So with all the sturm und drang, how are Louis Jadot faring? Suffice to say that Frederic seems to have slipped into Jacques Lardiere-s impossible-to-fill shoes by simply slipping into his own. There was a confidence about him when I conducted two morning sessions with him, though he never crosses the line into braggadoc

Lively flavours with delicate layers of nuts, jasmine flowers and minerally, salty notes on the finish. Silky texture and a lingering palate. Made from vines that are more than 80 years old.