Tasted in Puligny with Sylvie Prevot-Joly and Gilles Gerard, 11 October, 2017.
Domaine Albert Joly
Rue des Creux de Chagny
21190 Puligny-Montrachet
Tel: +33 3 80 21 30 29
On the 2017 vintage:
“In 2017 we started late in Puligny – the 7th of September – after the rain. We were happy with the degrees as we didn’t need to add any sugar – all the wines were between 12.9 and 13.7°”
On the 2016 vintage:
“2016? It was quite a cloudy vintage – actually, just like today! So, luckily, there was a band of cloud across much of Puligny when the frost came and it largely saved us from the frost – just one parcel of Bourgogne had no cloud so we lost 80% of the crop. There’s also no aligoté because of that.
“The market is good for the 2016s – and it’s anyway always very easy to sell in bulk as everyone wants some Puligny! ”
The wines…
Bottling, unfiltered, is done by a contract bottler, by the phase of the moon, usually in the Springtime. All sealed with natural cork – they had two years of testing ‘an agglomerate’ but it didn’t go well for them, so they are happier like this…
I last visited to taste the 2013s, and the wines were all different, so showing their terroirs, though I also found a certain rigour if not quite harshness in how the wines delivered their flavours. I have to say that on this visit they were delicious – the Tremblots is always a little highly strung/nervous – it’s a great set of wines. I must admit that I have a dirty secret with regard to these wines – their Puligny Charmes is sited close to Meursault Charmes, and to me tastes more like Meursault than Puligny – but a really lovely Meursault – love that wine!
All from the commune of Puligny – from just across the road from the domaine – 60 year-old vines.
A nice freshness and vibrance of aroma. Bright, a little reductive, but really delicious, excellent bourgogne with a super length.
2016 Puligny-Montrachet Les Tremblots
At the the limit of Puligny with Chassagne.
A less forward nose, but fine and precise. Much more intensity, and mineral in style. Lots of mouth-watering flavour complexity. Good on the finish too – nicely wide. A hint of young austerity, otherwise very good.
2016 Puligny-Montrachet Les Charmes
This time at the limit of Puligny with Meursault.
A deeper nose, faintly reduced, much in the style of the bourgogne, faintly spiced. More supple, nicely textured, more at ease with itself, and much more easy to appreciate. This is very tasty wine.
2015s:
Ooh that’s a beautiful aromatic – really lovely. Supple, fresh, fine acidity. A little flesh, but delightful balance. Top aligoté
2015 Bourgogne Chardonnay
Here more ripeness – though not super overt. Supple but nice acidity, melting flavour. Ripeness at the core but essentially a wine of line. Fine finish. Delicious!
2015 Puligny-Montrachet Vieilles-Vignes
A modest nose – faint, fresh ripe and yellow citrus. Supple, layered wine with a little reductive content. But long, accented with minerality. A very easy drink with a steely line in the finish. Classic Puligny.
2015 Puligny-Montrachet Les Tremblots
A little mix of green and yellow citrus, modest weight of aroma. Vibrant, fresh, lovely energy, rather than ripeness there’s a little more oak here, this is a classic Puligny aided by some flesh from the barrel, but that will wane in the next year or two – the Tremblots is consistently the more mineral and the Charmes more relaxed…
2015 Puligny-Montrachet Les Charmes
A deeper, riper, more classic 2015 nose. In the mouth though this plays beautifully over the palate, a hint of barrel, but much less overt vs the Tremblots. Nice modest energy – simply delicious wine!
2014s:
2014 Bourgogne Aligoté
A tighter nose – much tighter vs the 2015. Supple, modest flesh, layers of flavour with lovely acidity. Considering that this is directly following the 2015 Charmes, there is still a wine here that wants to be heard. Today the 2015 is nicer, but this us also worthy for your glass.
2014 Bourgogne Chardonnay
Hmm, a little aromatic depth here – attractive. Sleek, but slowly mouth-watering and sufficiently sweet. Mineral in style but without austerity. Holds a good mouth-watering finish too. Good value and you can wait for this without problem.
2014 Puligny-Montrachet Les Tremblots
A nice high-tone here, faintly savoury but rather attractive. A wine of line and freshness, narrow but slowly melting over the palate – the difference between this and the Charmes is always so clear… nice texture and a lovely finishing length. Very tasty wine.
I really think that this smells like Meursault – perhaps an insult to Puligny – but I like Meursault! Supple, a little extra flesh, more volume, slowly ingraining flavour. I find this delicious. Broad and complex finishing – bravo.