2014 Domaine Étienne Sauzet Puligny-Montrachet La Garenne 1er Cru

The 2014 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru la Garenne was missing a bit of substance on the nose when I tasted it at the domaine, though with modest encouragement it opens up to deliver hints of citrus fruit. This just did not quite express the terroir as other of Sauzet's premier crus. The palate is fresh and crisp on the entry, the oak just rounding this out rather, hints of toffee apple and peach surfacing towards the poised finish. It actually finished better than it begins, so let's see what it can do once in bottle.

(a big flowering here resulted in production of 47 hectoliters per hectare): Pale bright yellow. Musky, minerally, rocky nose displays lovely citrus lift. Suave and smooth on the palate, with lemon and crushed rock flavors framed by harmonious acidity. Boasts very good tension in the mouth: this tightly wound wine will need time in bottle. The Garenne is usually a degree lower in potential alcohol than Sauzet's other premier crus but not in 2014.

The 2014 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru la Garenne was missing a bit of substance on the nose when I tasted it at the domaine, though with modest encouragement it opens up to deliver hints of citrus fruit. This just did not quite express the terroir as other of Sauzet's premier crus. The palate is fresh and crisp on the entry, the oak just rounding this out rather, hints of toffee apple and peach surfacing towards the poised finish. It actually finished better than it begins, so let's see what it can do once in bottle. Dec 2015, www.robertparker.com