2014 Chassagne-Montrachet Enseigneres

“We had frost in April, and for me, it was the snow that did the real damage,” winemaker Benoît Riffaut explains in the tasting room. “Without this, I think the Premier Crus would have been less impacted, maybe 20%? But in the end, we are 80% down in terms of production, whilst Village and Regional Crus are only 50% down. Afterwards, it was not easy due to the mildew, as the vines were less strong. We had to be careful. We began picking around 22 September, 13 months after 2020. The grapes were healthy with correct ripeness, around 12% to 13.2% potential, and slightly more malic than 2020. During élevage, after August racking, I thought the wines were surprisingly good - I liked the energy, the electricity. That’s purely because of the terroir. The wines have been racked in stainless steel tank and will be bottled next January to March.”

Riffaut has been on a roll in recent vintages, and I find many of Sauzet’s 2021s exemplary. Best in show? No, not the Montrachet or the Bienvenue-Bâtard-Montrachet. Not the Chevalier-Montrachet that sadly is no more following the frost and, subsequently, the acquisition of Bouchard Père denying them their source (though Riffaut seems to have a replacement lined up). No, it’s the startling Bâtard-Montrachet that is the thrill, surfeit with tension and poise, a livewire with bags of energy. Also, try to grab his Puligny-Montrachet Les Combettes, Les Referts or the Folatières En La Richards, though they are in minuscule quantities. Chapeau Benoît!

“It was an early harvest, from August 22,” winemaker Benoît Riffault explained when I visited the winery in Puligny. “Unlike 2019, I felt that it was necessary to pick earlier. It was an easy vintage with healthy grapes. The surprise was the quality of juice from the press. It is a fruity vintage that is easy to understand. The 2019 is more concentrated and dense, while 2020 has more drinkability and freshness. The alcohol is slightly lower than the 2019 but slightly higher for the Village Crus. We decided to pick early and finished after seven days in the Hautes-Côtes around September 4 or 5. The wines are very compact now.” This was an impressive showing from Sauzet, who in my opinion is making better wines than ever, much more consistent than just a decade ago. Although the Grand Crus are very fine, as a consumer, I would set my sights on the over-performing Premier Crus such as the Les Truffières and Les Referts.

Benoît Riffault has fine-tuned this Puligny stalwart in recent years and imbued Sauzet’s wines with more mineralité and tension. “I think it’s a good vintage,” he told me as we embarked on our tasting of 2019s. “There is good concentration with body and acidity at the same time. The wines are balanced. It’s a small crop because of frost in the regional and village appellations plus it was so dry and hot. We didn’t have a lot of juice in the grapes, so we averaged 30hl/ha compared to 55hl/ha the previous year. We started the picking on 9 September. The fermentation was normal, the alcohol a little higher than usual, around 14.0° to 14.2° though that is not a problem for me if I have balance. It’s a characteristic of the vintage. The pH levels varied between 3.1 for the Hautes-Côtes up to 3.25 to La Garenne for example. But the most important thing is the tartaric level of acid, which was very high in 2019.” The dark horse amongst this range is a quite brilliant Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet that had the hubris to outflank both the three other Grand Crus, including the Montrachet. It is blessed with razor-sharp aromatics and enthralling tension from start to finish. Riffault himself could not disguise his satisfaction with this cuvée and I can taste exactly why. I asked whether altitude is playing a more significant role in governing quality given the warm summers. Riffault replied: “It could be better being higher up although on limestone areas it can speed up the maturity too much.” Among the wide range of Puligny-Montrachets, Les Combettes stood out and challenged the Grand Crus, plus I am always taken by their parcel in the lieu-dit of En Richard in Les Folatières.” But testament to the fine job Riffault is doing is the quality of entry-level wines, his Bourgogne Blanc one of the best that I encountered amongst many.

Winemaker Benoît Riffault was on hand to guide me through Sauzet's 2018s at their winery in Puligny-Montrachet. "Nothing is bottled," he told me. "They were racked just before harvest and the wines are on the lees. We started the picking on 25 August and finished about one week later. The season had been hot and dry, so the grapes were perfect. The big surprise was the juice in the grapes. I have no idea why. Maybe the showers two weeks before the picking had an effect or maybe reserves in the beginning of spring. Nobody imagined the juice like that, comparable to 2009 in volume. The malic [in the fruit] was very low at the beginning of August which is why I harvested early."

Assistant winemaker Benoît Riffault, who has been working with Gérard Boudot since 2002, described 2017 as “a compromise between 2015 and 2009. They show the density and gras of the ‘09s and have slightly healthier pHs and softer textures than the very ripe but sometimes rigid 2015s.” He added that the '17s are a very good vintage but don’t have the acidity of the 2014s. Riffault noted that yields were even lower in some of the estate’s holdings in 2017 than in 2016 (45 hectoliters per hectare overall for the domain, with some vineyards as low as 30), but pointed out that as most of the estate’s holdings are in Puligny-Montrachet, they did not have significant frost issues in ’16.

Riffault, who is married to Boudot's daughter Emilie and vinifies with her and her father, told me that the estate has not done any lees stirring for at least the last eight years. Current plans as of early June were to rack the lesser wines in July and bottle them in November and December. The rest will be racked just prior to the 2018 harvest and bottled next February or March. Incidentally, as of this vintage, Gérard Boudot is sealing all of his bottles with white wax capsules made with paraffin.

Gérard Boudot, who made a bit more than half a crop in 2016, told me it’s hard to compare this vintage with an earlier year. “Maybe a fatter version of 2007 for some estates,” he offered. “But there’s a huge disparity between cuvées in 2016 due to the frost. Some wines will be best early for their fruit but the rest should be normal mid-term agers—up to 12 years. The ripeness is not exceptional and the wines are not especially aromatic today, but they are solid, not fragile, and the acidity is good.” Boudot did very little chaptalization beyond his Puligny-Montrachet La Garenne, and limited the percentage of new oak for his premier crus to about 22%. He planned to rack his ‘16s in July but won’t bottle anything until January—and later for his top crus.

The 2015s, in contrast, “have the fruit to give early pleasure but will probably be good at every stage. The wines are easy but I don’t mean that pejoratively and the terroirs come through. The grapes were golden without surmaturité and there was nothing to eliminate on the sorting table. The wines are not especially intellectual but neither will they need long aging.” Boudot considers the vintage to be outstanding, noting that the 2009s were “more marked by their vintage." Incidentally, he told me that he's drinking wines earlier for their fruit as he gets older.

“We were very lucky after the last day of heat and south wind on August 31, as we had only a few millimeters of rain that night” [as opposed to the violent hailstorm that struck Chablis], said winemaker Benoît Riffault. Domaine Sauzet had waited a few extra days “for the skins to soften a little,” but the fruit was technically ripe earlier. The estate picked its Chardonnay at potential alcohol levels between 13% and 14% and did not acidify.

“For me, the wines have energy,” Riffault told me, with pHs between 3.15 and 3.3 and acidity levels between 3.8 and 4.0 grams after the malolactic fermentations. “The 2015s are not extreme or atypical,” he went on. “I’m not sure if the vintage is great or just very good. It’s not the type of vintage I prefer to drink but the wines have good aging potential. They have more fruit and they’re juicier and more energetic than the 2003s.”

The 2015s were still in barrels at the time of my visit and Riffault told me he did not plan to de-gas them at the racking, explaining that years with low malic acidity generally have less gas. He also believes that the 2015s will get more compact by the time they're bottled.

Gérard Boudot describes 2014 as “a very homogeneous vintage that respected our terroirs. The wines will be rounder and more classic than the 2013s, which are more taut.” He went on: “The 2014s may be easier to drink early, especially the village wines, which are easy to understand.” Boudot harvested early in 2014, beginning on September 11, with grape sugars between 12.6% and 13%, and did “almost no chaptalization.” He also told me that he had done no lees stirring for the 2014s as of the end of May, and that he stirred the 2013s just once, after the malos ended in late spring. “We have less nitrogen in the bourbes today owing to our gentler presses, so the wine is less protected,” he explained.

Most of the 2014 malos were finished by February or March. The vintage, says Boudot, “is a good classic year, with good material and acid structure.” He generally produced 40 to 42 hectoliters per hectare, more than in the two previous vintages and similar to 2011. Boudot uses about 15% new oak for his village wines, 20% for his first few premier crus and 25% beginning with the Referts. The grand crus get 25% to 33% (but none for the Bienvenue-Batard-Montrachet), plus a lot of once-used barrels.

Boudot believes that the 2013s express themselves well with a double decanting a couple hours in advance. “This completely changes the wines,” he told me. He finds the ‘13s “very solid, almost rigid, and very stable in bottle. They have very good aging potential but that depends on the yields, which were very heterogeneous compared to 2014. There was strong mildew pressure at the flowering in 2013, and we lost a lot of crop.” Incidentally, Boudot recommends drinking his 2014s, 2012s and 2011s before his 2013s.

Gérard Boudot describes 2014 as “a very homogeneous vintage that respected our terroirs. The wines will be rounder and more classic than the 2013s, which are more taut.” He went on: “The 2014s may be easier to drink early, especially the village wines, which are easy to understand.” Boudot harvested early in 2014, beginning on September 11, with grape sugars between 12.6% and 13%, and did “almost no chaptalization.” He also told me that he had done no lees stirring for the 2014s as of the end of May, and that he stirred the 2013s just once, after the malos ended in late spring. “We have less nitrogen in the bourbes today owing to our gentler presses, so the wine is less protected,” he explained.

Most of the 2014 malos were finished by February or March. The vintage, says Boudot, “is a good classic year, with good material and acid structure.” He generally produced 40 to 42 hectoliters per hectare, more than in the two previous vintages and similar to 2011. Boudot uses about 15% new oak for his village wines, 20% for his first few premier crus and 25% beginning with the Referts. The grand crus get 25% to 33% (but none for the Bienvenue-Batard-Montrachet), plus a lot of once-used barrels.

Boudot believes that the 2013s express themselves well with a double decanting a couple hours in advance. “This completely changes the wines,” he told me. He finds the ‘13s “very solid, almost rigid, and very stable in bottle. They have very good aging potential but that depends on the yields, which were very heterogeneous compared to 2014. There was strong mildew pressure at the flowering in 2013, and we lost a lot of crop.” Incidentally, Boudot recommends drinking his 2014s, 2012s and 2011s before his 2013s.

"The weather was lousy in 2013," said Gerard Boudot on the first morning of my white Burgundy tour at the end of May."There was plenty of mildew but we were not affected by hail."He began harvesting on September 29, picking over the next eight and a half days, with potential alcohol levels ranging from about 12% for the village wines to 12.8% for the crus (the Combettes and Champs-Canet were near 13%).Boudot reported that he had fairly consistent ripeness, and that he eliminated some rotten and underripe grapes at harvest-time.He told me he hasn't done any lees stirring "yet," except for one time in December, explaining that with organic farming batonnage has not been necessary in recent years as the fruit has better balance.He has also been using less and less new oak, experimenting with some 20- and 25-hectoliter foudres for some vinifications."I once bought 100 to 110 new barrels a year, but now I'm down to 40 for the same volume of wine," said Boudot.All of the wines noted below were still in barrel at the end of May.Boudot describes 2013 as "a fleshier version of 2011, with similar acidity and pH levels, and a very typical terroir year."He added:"I love the quick drinkability and salinity of the 2013s compared to the 2012s, which need a bit of time."

"The weather was lousy in 2013," said Gerard Boudot on the first morning of my white Burgundy tour at the end of May. "There was plenty of mildew but we were not affected by hail." He began harvesting on September 29, picking over the next eight and a half days, with potential alcohol levels ranging from about 12% for the village wines to 12.8% for the crus (the Combettes and Champs-Canet were near 13%). Boudot reported that he had fairly consistent ripeness, and that he eliminated some rotten and underripe grapes at harvest-time. He told me he hasn't done any lees stirring "yet," except for one time in December, explaining that with organic farming batonnage has not been necessary in recent years as the fruit has better balance. He has also been using less and less new oak, experimenting with some 20- and 25-hectoliter foudres for some vinifications. "I once bought 100 to 110 new barrels a year, but now I'm down to 40 for the same volume of wine," said Boudot. All of the wines noted below were still in barrel at the end of May. Boudot describes 2013 as "a fleshier version of 2011, with similar acidity and pH levels, and a very typical terroir year." He added: "I love the quick drinkability and salinity of the 2013s compared to the 2012s, which need a bit of time."

According to Gerard Boudot, the 2010s are similar to the 2008s in their "good fruit, natural alcoholic degrees and minerality." Yields were very low on the hillsides (just under 30 hectoliters per hectare, on average, for the premier crus), but close to normal on the tops of the hills (about 45 h/h for the grand crus) due to the later flowering under better weather conditions. The grapes were small due to widespread millerandage, and the levels of dry extract are solid, added Boudot, who did not expect to bottle his crus until next March. Boudot has cut way back on lees stirring in recent years; for the 2010s, he did just three batonnages prior to the malolactic fermentations and then stopped. The 2009s here are also quite strong in the context of the vintage. "Early harvesting was the secret to success in '09," said Boudot, "and it was necessary to limit the size of the crop. After that, the wines were very easy to vinify." (Vineyard Brands, Birmingham, AL)

According to Gerard Boudot, the 2010s are similar to the 2008s in their "good fruit, natural alcoholic degrees and minerality." Yields were very low on the hillsides (just under 30 hectoliters per hectare, on average, for the premier crus), but close to normal on the tops of the hills (about 45 h/h for the grand crus) due to the later flowering under better weather conditions. The grapes were small due to widespread millerandage, and the levels of dry extract are solid, added Boudot, who did not expect to bottle his crus until next March. Boudot has cut way back on lees stirring in recent years; for the 2010s, he did just three batonnages prior to the malolactic fermentations and then stopped. The 2009s here are also quite strong in the context of the vintage. "Early harvesting was the secret to success in '09," said Boudot, "and it was necessary to limit the size of the crop. After that, the wines were very easy to vinify." (Vineyard Brands, Birmingham, AL)

I tasted this year with Gerard Boudot's assistant Bernard Riffault, who described the 2009 harvest as similar to the conditions of 2005. "The grapes were yellow but not too exotic," Riffault explained. "There was a bit more juice in the grapes in '09 and very little sorting was needed, so we made the full crop." Today Boudot starts with more lees, presses stronger and longer and does no batonnage, according to Riffault. The wines are more reduced during elevage, and that may be why he told me he thought they were "a bit compact, with a cold calcaire quality" when we tasted together. I thought they showed more crunchiness than the 2005s, whose aromas show a warmer aspect. Riffault believes the estate's 2008s will be easy to drink young. "Some are in surmaturite, almost with a botrytis character," he told me. "It's not a taut vintage or a classic year for aging, but the wines have good acidity and should have decent cellaring potential." Riffault finds the 2008s to be a bit more viscous than the 2009s as a group, describing the latter vintage as more classic. (Vineyard Brands, Birmingham, AL)