Maison Joseph Drouhin 2013 Puligny-Montrachet "Clos de La Garenne" 1er Cru 750ml

Winemaker's Notes:

Grape Variety : Chardonnay.

Vineyard
Site: the middle part of the Côte de Beaune is famous for its great wines. Puligny-Montrachet, as one of the villages of the Côte des Blancs, is one of these celebrated appellations. Clos de la Garenne is a small vineyard (1.5 ha - 3.75 acres) located on the upper reaches of the appellation.
Histoire & tradition: Puligny may have belonged to a certain Pullius in Gallo-Roman times. His estate was called "Pulliniacus" from which is derived the name Puligny (i.e. the property of Pullius). The name Garenne, means "warren" (a place where wild rabbits lived). This piece of land, on a mild slope, is now very highly prized.
Soil: limestone. Mix of ochre earth and pebbles.

Viticulture
Plantation density: 10,000 stocks/ha in order to extract all possible nuances from the terroir.
Pruning: Guyot.
Yield: 49hl/ha, low on purpose to limit the production of each vine stock.
Supply: grapes and must purchased from regular suppliers with long term contracts.

Vinification
Pressing: very slow so as to respect fruit. Juices from the very last pressings are not retained.
No yeasts or enzymes are used. The wine goes directly into barrels after débourbage (decanting of white wine to reduce sediment).

Ageing
Type: in barrels (25% in new oak).
Length: 12 months.
Origin of the wood: French oak forests.
Weathering of the wood: Joseph Drouhin insists on total control of the weathering for a period of 3 years, one of the contributing elements to the elegance of the wine.
Follow-up: barrel by barrel.

Throughout the ageing process, decisions are taken only after careful tasting evaluation. The data obtained is then completed through technical analysis. As with every other Joseph Drouhin wine, absolute priority is given to the true expression of terroir and character of the vintage.

Tasting note by Véronique Boss-Drouhin
"Great finesse and breed in this wine. The colour, barely golden, is brilliant. On the nose, refined aromas of hawthorn, fresh almond and apricot, evolving towards candied fruit, hazelnut and grilled dried fruit. On the palate, a beautiful structure harmonizing nicely with fresh and velvety sensations. Long aftertaste, especially in the flavours".

Vintage
The whites show great character on a fresh and neat structure. They are both precise and full of nuances. Their style is relatively homogeneous all through Great Burgundy.

Serving
Temperature: 13°C (55°C).
Cellaring: 8 to 20 years.