No, not a lecture on ‘off-wine’ – well not in an ‘orange direction’ anyway.

I expected maybe one glass from the Puligny, but fortunately it was on fire, because the 98 Beaune Grèves that I had planned to follow was corked. I open all 1990s wines with a certain (cork) trepidation as it was a terrible time for taint – easily 10%, but I reckon higher. I’ll try another of these Jadots in the next days…

Returning to the Puligny. From an auction ‘lot’ I bought a year or two ago, this is the second I’ve opened. All these have a dark colours and the first had quite a high level of oxidation on the both the cork and the wine. This one’s cork smelled fine, despite the wine almost tending to brown…

1982 Etienne Sauzet, Puligny-Montrachet
Dark orange wine – almost tending to brown, but – hmm… Bingo! A certain freshness, white chocolate, wet wool, lanolin… In the mouth a plush silkiness with gorgeous sucrosity of fruit leaching, together with the acidity, through the gaps in your teeth and over the tongue. The finish is super-wide and slowly mouth-watering and with a faint nougat in the length. Great wine!
Rebuy – No Chance

I’ve 3 more of these, and if none are as good as this – so be it – but this was brilliant. Not bad for a villages! The only other villages I’ve had at the same level were the 64 and 59 Meursaults from Nicolas Potel’s Collection Bellenum – this one sits somewhere in-between.