Aside from this 60-bottle parcel serving as a tiny back-vintage release, the sole reason so few bottles of Albert Joly are available is that very little is annually made. The entire Joly estate consists of just 4.5 hectares, all within the commune of Puligny-Montrachet. Not all, however, are channeled into her production: more than 80% of their fruit is sold to négociants! 

The family’s parcel of “Les Tremblots,” which sits at Puligny’s border with Chassagne—just downslope from Bâtard-Montrachet—contains their oldest vines at approximately 60 years of age. With real estate this valuable, she’s practically obligated to hold back a small amount for proprietary bottling! And so she does, maturing it in 33% new French barrels for approximately 18 months. With the guidance of the lunar calendar, bottling occurs without fining. 

Joly’s 2018 explodes with bounteous perfume: ripe yellow apple skin, salt-preserved Meyer lemon, white peach skin, apricot, lime blossom, citrus zest, crushed stones, acacia, honeysuckle, lees, fresh cream, and hints of baking spice. The richly textured palate displays the profundity and energy one can expect from old-vine fruit grown in proximity to the legendary Montrachet Grand Crus. It’s lush, tense, powerful, and supremely elegant through and through, with finely crushed minerals and tantalizing yellow fruit populating the lengthy finish. Enjoy your bottling slowly, preferably over two evenings, and cellar your remaining bottles for consumption throughout the next decade.