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Domaine Albert Joly, Puligny-Montrachet “Les Tremblots”

Burgundy, France 2016 (750mL)
$79.00
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Domaine Albert Joly, Puligny-Montrachet “Les Tremblots”

Yes, we still get excited about wines (otherwise, why do this?), especially when a new vintage of a past favorite arrives: Will it live up to its predecessor? Eclipse it? Well, when it’s a talented producer like Sylvie Prevot-Joly, and a vintage progression like 2016-2017, there’s a good chance it’ll be the latter. 
And it was—Joly’s 2016 Puligny-Montrachet hit us all like a bolt of lightning, and her 2017 is a thrilling repeat performance. First off, there’s 2017, a vintage every bit as good as ’16 but one that produced significantly more quantity. Then there’s Prevot-Joly, who only began “estate-bottling” wines from her family’s legacy vines in 2007. As I said when we offered the ’16, wine importers the world over are forever combing the streets of Burgundy for tiny, impeccable producers like this one—the under-the-radar talents that make you feel like you just discovered fire. Joly’s vineyards, some with 60+-year-old vines, are all clustered in Puligny, so it’s safe to call her a specialist in the wines of this iconic commune. To her considerable credit, this ’17, like its predecessor, is as good as Puligny gets: full of mineral energy, high-toned aromatics, and exceptionally pure Chardonnay fruit. If you are a white Burgundy lover, I urge you to join us on the Joly bandwagon and take up to six bottles today. You’ll be glad you did!
While the Albert Joly domaine will be new to some, it’s hardly new to Burgundy—nor is the acclaimed lieu-dit vineyard “Les Tremblots,” the source of today’s wine. Overall, the Joly estate consists of just 11 acres of vineyards, all of them in the commune of Puligny-Montrachet but not all channeled into commercial production. Sylvie and her brother-in-law, Gilles, continue to sell more than 80% of their fruit to négociants (merchants), as her father, Albert, had always done. The family’s parcel of Les Tremblots, which sits at Puligny’s border with Chassagne-Montrachet, contains its oldest vines: 60 years on average.

If you drink as much white Burgundy as we do, there are certain things you come to expect from classic Puligny-Montrachet, and for me, one of the biggest markers is tension—of the Côte de Beaune’s “big three” Chardonnay appellations (Meursault and Chassagne-Montrachet being the others, of course), the most taut, mineral, high-toned examples are most likely to hail from Puligny. Although far from austere, Joly’s ’17 fits the description, without asking you to sacrifice any mid-palate ripeness in exchange for that electric jolt of acidity and minerality.

In the glass, the 2017 displays a deep straw-gold core with green highlights at the rim, with perfumed aromas of Meyer lemon, tangerine, lime blossom, yellow apple, wet stones, lots of white flowers, and a hint of fresh cream. It is medium-plus in body, underpinned with the kind of freshness that will preserve it for at least a decade. Decant it 30-45 minutes before serving at 50-55 degrees in all-purpose white stems or even Burgundy bowls to allow its full aromatic range to develop. Upon tasting this wine, I immediately began craving some grilled or poached white-fleshed fish, layered over seasonal vegetables—yes, I still get excited about food, too! Try the attached recipe and you’ll undoubtedly feel the same!
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Country
France
Region
Burgundy
Sub-Region
FrancePuligny-Montrachet
Soil
Limestone & Clay
Farming
Sustainable
Blend
Chardonnay 100%
Alcohol
12.5
OAK
French Oak Barriques
TEMP.
50
Glassware
All-Purpose Whites / Burgundy Stems
Drinking
Now-2035
Decanting
30 Minutes
Pairing
Ceviche

France

Bourgogne

Beaujolais

Enjoying the greatest wines of Beaujolais starts, as it usually does, with the lay of the land. In Beaujolais, 10 localities have been given their own AOC (Appellation of Controlled Origin) designation. They are: Saint Amour; Juliénas; Chénas; Moulin-à Vent; Fleurie; Chiroubles; Morgon; Régnié; Côte de Brouilly; and Brouilly.

Southwestern France

Bordeaux

Bordeaux surrounds two rivers, the Dordogne and Garonne, which intersect north of the city of Bordeaux to form the Gironde Estuary, which empties into the Atlantic Ocean. The region is at the 45th parallel (California’s Napa Valley is at the38th), with a mild, Atlantic-influenced climate enabling the maturation of late-ripening varieties.

Central France

Loire Valley

The Loire is France’s longest river (634 miles), originating in the southerly Cévennes Mountains, flowing north towards Paris, then curving westward and emptying into the Atlantic Ocean near Nantes. The Loire and its tributaries cover a huge swath of central France, with most of the wine appellations on an east-west stretch at47 degrees north (the same latitude as Burgundy).

Northeastern France

Alsace

Alsace, in Northeastern France, is one of the most geologically diverse wine regions in the world, with vineyards running from the foothills of theVosges Mountains down to the Rhine River Valley below.

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