It’s not common to encounter a Puligny-Montrachet of this caliber when searching through the typical importer/distributor channels in the US. Fortunately, when you’ve been living with a full-blown white Burgundy addiction for as many years as I have, you pick up a few tricks along the way. One of my favorites is keeping my eyes peeled for über-rare cuvées from vineyard sites that seem out-of-place within the context of an elite property’s other wines.
This approach isn’t 100% bulletproof, mind you—but if you know where to look, it can deliver a truly remarkable treasure that demands everyone’s attention. Such is the case with this irresistibly delicious Puligny-Montrachet “Les Levrons,” a vineyard site located just below the lauded Premier Crus “Les Perrieres” and “Les Referts.” This is an exquisite and regal wine whose extreme scarcity and idiosyncratic location guarantee that it eludes all but the most determined collector. This is a near-perfect expression of Puligny-Montrachet and is firing on all cylinders right now. Those who share my deep passion for white Burgundy will regret missing this opportunity!
The venerable Bitouzet-Prieur estate has been producing gorgeous white Burgundy for centuries in Meursault. During this time, the family’s Premier Cru bottlings in this village have earned endless flattery from the global wine press and a devoted sommelier following. This wine hails from a gorgeous, backyard-sized parcel that is the one and only white wine vineyard the family farms outside of Meursault (it’s wedged beneath the Puligny-Montrachet Premier Crus “Les Perrieres” and “Les Referts”). While everyone else is competing for the Bitouzet family’s Meursaults each spring, this is the wine I always grab first. There are a mere 28 cases of this outstanding 2013 vintage in the country—it’s in its prime and virtually leaping out of the bottle. I can’t wait for you to drink it.
François and Vincent Bitouzet farm all their parcels organically, relying on zero shortcuts with chemicals or systemic treatments, and all of the fruit is harvested by hand. This restraint is echoed in the cellar: juice is vinified gently and slowly with minimal sulfur. The end goal of the entire process is to produce wines that mature in the cellar for many years, and gradually evolve in aromatics and structure. In a region increasingly overrun with estates bottling young, “modern” whites, the Bitouzet family are classicists. The family’s wines are seldom open and forward upon release, but they offer a consistently impressive reward to those patient enough to cellar the wines.
The Bitouzet family has been farming in Meursault and Volnay for hundreds of years. Their Meursault holdings encompass an impressive depth of humble lieu-dits as well as generous holdings in some of the village’s top Premier Crus. “Les Levrons,” meanwhile, just over the border in Puligny, was planted in 1955. Its east-facing, clay- and limestone-rich soils are a dream location for Chardonnay, producing rich and deeply textured wines in hot years. Even more thrillingly, in a cooler vintage like the 2013 we are offering today, “Les Levrons” delivers opulence plus incredible delineation and focus—and a vibrant blast of aromas that can only be produced in top Puligny-Montrachet real estate. This is a brilliant wine.
The 2013 Puligny-Montrachet “Les Levrons” displays a concentrated straw-yellow center moving to slight gold and green reflections on the rim. After only a brief rest in a decanter, this wine blossoms to reveal all the aromatic and textural splendor one seeks in a top-tier bottle of Puligny. Palpably intense white peach, bosc pear, hazelnut, fresh acacia flower, lemon blossom, lime zest, honeysuckle, and stirred lees aromas give way to subtle background notes of green cardamom, vanilla, nutmeg and baking spices. The palate, medium-plus in body, offers simultaneously rich, tense, mineral notes that drive layers of flavor. This is an extremely serious wine, and it’s a perfect illustration of what I crave in white Burgundy. I consider this bottle an exceptional value, as it pretty much blows away everything else I’ve tasted recently at this price point. Although the bottle is a touch reticent when first opened, it grows more expressive with continued exposure to oxygen. I advise 45 minutes in a decanter served at cellar temp in Burgundy stems. If you remove the bottle from the cold refrigerator (35-40F) and decant for one hour prior to serving dinner, you should expect the wine to reach its ideal 55-60F service temperature at the exact moment dishes hit the table—but be sure to do a little advance tasting along the way! For today’s culinary companion we’ve chosen a dish that mirrors this wine’s deft balance of richness and freshness.
This Scallop and Steamed Brussels Sprouts preparation is ideal for an appetizer or a main course. Enjoy!
