A sobering reality of the wine business is that even the cheapest bottle of Grand Cru Montrachet is far more than what most people would ever be willing to spend on any wine. The newest releases start around $600 and the most expensive, from Domaine Romanée-Conti, fetches over $10,000. That’s why the eyes of every legitimate Burgundy collector grew three sizes when today’s “Le Cailleret” hit their inbox: It’s essentially an extension of Grand Cru Montrachet for many, many multiples less!
Although it’s an indisputable fact that “Le Montrachet” stands alone as the pinnacle of Grand Cru Chardonnay, savvy buyers know “Le Cailleret” is within literal striking distance, separated by a mere 15-foot path and an easily scalable stone wall. And in the hands of Domaine de la Pousse d'Or, one of Burgundy’s most prestigious biodynamic estates, it achieves boundless 1er Cru profundity. Here, they painstakingly farm their coveted 0.8-hectare slice, naturally ferment and mature the luxurious juice in the finest French oak, and ration out micro-allocations to key players around the globe. This is among the most collectible, sought-after, and age-worthy Chardonnays in the world, and the 2018 vintage has made it incredibly enjoyable in its youth. Securing a case would be one of the smartest moves in wine, but given our meager allocation, it’s something we cannot come close to accommodating. Up to six bottles per person.
As our Burgundy-loving contingent is aware, Domaine de la Pousse d’Or is one of France’s blue-chip estates with a history that dates back to the 16th century. What’s more, at one point in the 1800s, it was part of a larger domaine that also included immortalized legends DRC and Clos de Tart! The property’s resurgence and modern-day fame came in the mid-20th century when Gérard Potel married into the estate in 1964 and began laying a solid foundation. Upon his death 33 years later, the estate was handed over to current winemaker Patrick Landanger. Over the decades, he has worked tirelessly to (1) acquire some of the best parcels, even foregoing winemaking in the first couple of vintages to seek out prime sites, (2) convert the holdings into biodynamics, and (3) craft resolutely traditional wines with a long track record for aging. Today, all three are on vivid display.
Look at a map and you’ll see just how perfectly positioned the Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru “Le Cailleret” vineyard is: it abuts Grand Cru “Montrachet,” and does so at the same point on the slope. Sourced from a .7-hectare parcel, Landanger’s naturally farmed grapes are harvested and meticulously sorted, leaving him with very small yields. The wine ferments with indigenous yeasts in 350-liter French oak barriques, of which 50% are new. It then ages for one year in the same 50-50 mix of new and used oak. Following the lunar cycle, the wine is bottled via gravity without fining or filtration.
If consuming this in its youth, I would advise pulling the cork in the morning and allowing the bottle to breathe all day in a cool environment or decanting for three hours prior to serving. The rich palate is surprisingly inviting at this nascent stage, flaunting layers of tension and ripe fruit that effortlessly blend into the strong mineral backbone that comes with Puligny’s Premier and Grand Cru terroir. As always, this wine will reward long aging (I don’t think 20 years is out of the question), and it is guaranteed to blossom into something special if you allow it to slumber in your cellar, even if it’s just for another two years. When the time comes, serve it in large Burgundy stems at 55 degrees and savor as slow as humanly possible!
