Tasted in Chablis with Patrick Puize, 14 January 2019.
Patrick Piuze
25 rue Emile Zola
89800 Chablis
Tel: +33 3 86 18 85 73
www.patrickpiuze.com
Patrick on 2018:
“It was more than generous so I’m happy – quality and quantity! We started picking 1st September. No vines really suffered from the dryness – the roots go deep enough and we had enough water in the first half of the season. I think there’s a good freshness to the wines, almost no malo of-course. A vintage that might look a little like 2015. It’s the second vintage with a nice vigour since the frost and hail, it seems the vines had plenty of reserve, the older vines had even better yields than the younger vines this year. The grapes pressed easily – it took a couple of days more to harvest even with more pickers – I said that there were plenty of grapes! It didn’t make a difference if in tanks or barrels, with yeast or not, cooled or not all the fermentations started all over the place. Alcoholic fermentations done well before Christmas though.”
“In 2017 we lost some time in the harvest – looking for grapes. In 2018 there were so many grapes that they were probably doing the photosynthesis for the leaves!”
Patrick on 2017:
“I’ve had to turn my back on some appellations as it’s become too complicated to make money as a négoce – we had even less volume than in 2016 here – only 2% but less – but it doesn’t help. I much prefer the quality of the grapes in this vintage though. 2017 is, I think, a small 2014 here – the frost wasn’t a great start but the year was otherwise super – much less complicated in the vines. Only a day difference harvesting compared to 2018.
“When you have healthy grapes you can’t go wrong – but the timing choice will affect the style a lot. I had almost everything harvested between 11.8° and 12.2° and we left them like that – no sugar.”
The wines…
An early picker and so Patrick can bask in the glory of his fresh, chiselled, absolutely classic 2017s – baby 2014s they are!
It’s a relatively early bottling here, starting in April. The first grand crus done at the start of July. Have done it like this since 2008.
Year of planting, from near St.Bris – 50% barrel. All cork
A slight smokiness. Hmm – supple but energetic, a little mineral. This is great stuff.
Also from around St.Bris
A relatively tight nose. Hmm, more depth, supple, extra sweetness. Great line – super wine for the price. Very slightly less cost than the Petit Chablis here. Great for the price indeed.
2017 Bourgone Tonnerre Les Boutots
Kimmerigian soil, and hillside exposure.
A little more ripeness of lemon fruit on the nose. Hmm, more mineral, more cool but equally delicious – certainly more Chablis style – a lovely finishing salinity.
2017 Chablis Terrior de Chapelle
Two parcels in Chapelle la Vaupelteigne – one on the plateau, the other near the cemetery. Planted in 1974 and the 1990s. Not too frosted as at the top of the hill
This has a lovely line and touches of sucrosity and salinity. A little touch of reduction, very mineral – but great sweeping lines. Very classic.
2017 Chablis Terroirs de Chablis
From the north-facing slopes of Forets. The last was only on limestone, this has some clay too.
A bigger nose – more open and complete. Plenty of line, plenty of minerality. Gets wider and wider, I prefer the last but there is more here it’s likely to be better in a couple of years.
2017 Chablis Terroirs de Courgis
‘Our thickest layers of clay’
Actually the first with an overt floral note. A little extra richness in the mouth – but it’s an anecdote with freshness such as this. Sweeping, fresh lines again.
2017 Chablis Terroirs de Fye
In Chapelots, but the villages part.
Another with a little reduction. But lots of width and freshness – a really lovely wine again.
100% barrel and bottled same time as 1ers and gcs
Hmm – another nose with extra – more in the depth – I assume fruit but there must be some barrel here too. Extra depth in the finish from the barrel but this is another supple wine with very sleek lines – concentrated and beautifully textured. Really the best finish of this series.
The warmest spot in this closed valley. ‘We often start our harvest here – I don’t want confit fruit.’
Open, ripe citrus – slowly adding florals too. Hmm – I like the extra intensity here – but it’s a supple intensity – so nothing sharp or jarring – very ripe yellow fruit but not golden – almost orange fruit in the finish. Great.
2017 Chablis 1er Vaillons-Roncières
From Vaillons – the third year for this wine. The valley opens a little here, planted east-west – everything else here is north-south.
A fuller nose – this is very attractively agrumed. More direct, more overtly mineral. Supple in the middle. Layers in the finish – this is such another excellent wine. Holds great – a very different favour versus the first Vaillons.
Here, vines on the vein of limestone in Vaillons, planted in 1961. Lost most to the frost – ‘here the frost was at the top of the the hill where our vines are.’
A softer, – not in a negative sense – very elegant nose – very inviting. Fuller, round but with great melting flavour – cooler fruited but amply fruited. Such a juicy finish. So delicious – great!
2017 Chablis Bougros
‘I pick this only in the morning – if I pick in the afternoon it accentuates the fruit – and there’s already enough of that here!’
A different style. Fuller, very faintly spiced. Full, intense, very intense minerality. Very long too – ooh that’s sleek and concentrated at the same time.
2017 Chablis Blanchots
Not the steepest part, deeper soil here, ‘but the grower is good.’
Wide nose, tighter below. Hmm – a weight here but going wider and wider like the nose – ripe but still fine citrus – really on the cusp of lemon-lime. Layered in the finish and saline too. Top!
Ooh a deep, great nose – of energy and fresh complexity too. Ooh. More relaxed, cool fruited – also a mix of lemon and lime – but more lime – relaxed in the finishing flavours too. Fresh but louche – such great wine!
There is one response to “Patrick Puize – 2017”
Patrick Puize?