2020 Puligny-Montrachet Les Folatières 1er Cru

There are few more chilled-out winemakers than Romaric Chavy. Even though I arrived an hour later than scheduled due to a typo, he had time to escort me through his 2020s. Initially, he hesitated to show me these wines because they had only just been bottled, but I told him that we should "give them a go," and as it transpired, apart from two cuvées, they did nothing to dispel the notion that he is making brilliant wines that transcend their status. “The lack of water was the main challenge during the growing season, and the leaves started to turn yellow from July," he explained. "That was tough. I thought maybe we picked a bit too early. We went out from August 21, then stopped for two or three days before picking August 23–26. But I found this early picking kept the wines’ vibrancy. Those picking dates are around the same as 2003. The other earliest growing season was 1893 – it is chiseled into the wall of a cabotte. Everything is bottled under natural cork except the Aligoté, under a conglomerate cork.” When I inquired about his general view of the wines, he answered: “The red 2020s have more tannins than the 2019, more structure, while the 2020s are silkier. For the whites, there is higher acidity in 2020 because the vines stopped photosynthesis and stayed blocked with the acidity that balanced the concentration." These wines come highly recommended, including some of the best Bourgogne Blanc you will find and a raft of over-performing Village Crus, as well as a stunning Meursault Genevrières.