Etienne Sauzet Bienvenues-Batard-Montrachet Grand Cru 2014

Etienne Sauzet  Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru

Winery Information

Etienne Sauzets son-in-law, Grard Boudot, makes the wine at this benchmark Burgundian D., turning the enormous potential of their prime vineyards into liquid gold. His knowledge of Puligny?s different vineyards is second to none. He resists the temptation to interfere with the wines too much after fermentation, and employs on average 30% new oak every year. The Grand Crus are, of course, impressive; even right down to Villages and Bourgogne level the wines display the finesse and grace of truly great Puligny.

Testing Nose

A restrained but highly complex nose features notes of ripe, pure and elegant honeysuckle, pear, apple and soft spice aromas that are trimmed in just enough wood to notice. There is excellent concentration to the equally refined and relatively powerful medium weight flavors that possess a highly seductive mouth feel before culminating in a saline and gorgeously persistent finish. Excellent upside development potential.

From 80 years old vines.

93 points Allen Meadows - Burghound

from a .19 ha parcel; these are the oldest vines of the Domaine planted in 1938). An elegant if restrained nose offers up airy notes of honeysuckle, green apple, essence of pear and lovely spice nuances. Here too there is very fine volume to the relatively refined medium-bodied flavors that possess excellent depth and length on the beautifully long, balanced and harmonious finale. This is classier than the Combettes and altogether lovely

90-93 points Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

Pale yellow. White peach lifted by white flowers on the nose. Juicy and nicely delineated, delivering strong cut and an intense lemon flavor. Showing less volume than the Combettes but much more taut today

90-92 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

The 2013 Bienvenue-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru is very reserved, you could almost say “timid” on the nose at the moment, reticent to say the least. The palate is taut and crisp with notes of Granny Smith apple, citrus lemon and a touch of spice. It begins to lose its inhibitions toward the saline, sour lemon-tinged finish. Certainly this will deserve four or five years in bottle, but I wonder whether it will surpass Benoît's best premier crus in 2013? (NM)