En Primeur | Etienne Sauzet

The domaine was founded by Etienne Sauzet in the early 1900s, and since then the vineyard has passed down through the generations. The estate has remained largely intact, apart from one of his grandsons, Jean-Marc Boillot (see page XX) who created his own domaine in 1991 with his part of the inheritance. Today the family interests of 15 hectares are managed by Etienne’s great granddaughter Emilie and her husband Benoît Riffault. Benoît comes from Sancerre and has white winemaking in his blood. Certified as biodynamic since 2013, the domaine’s winemaking style is to ferment in cask, giving the wines 12-month maturation on their lees, before transferring into stainless steel tanks where they remain on lees for a further 6 months prior to bottling. The domaine has followed this approach for many years, one which is increasingly popular as it allows both the richness of fruit to be enhanced and preserves the classic Puligny elegance and purity.

Benoît started harvesting on 22nd August, 95 days after flowering so just a little ahead of his traditional scheduled date. In 2020 his fruit was more aromatically advanced compared to 2019 and he was keen to capture all the floral and stone fruit nuances characteristic of the vintage. His harvest policy was simple: get the fruit in as quickly and as efficiently as possible. So, they picked throughout the day (unlike some estates who preferred morning only harvesting) and gathered all 15 hectares in just seven days, in perfect conditions, before the grape sugars rose too fast. Benoît describes the vintage as having spheric fruit characters, a new term to me, but an apt one!

We’re limiting purchases to 1 or 2 cases per wine due to high demand. Please contact your account manager or wine@goedhuis.com to discuss larger quantities.

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Vintage  
Size Qty Price Price (Inc VAT) Stat
 
2020

Puligny Montrachet 1er Cru La Garenne Etienne Sauzet

3x75cl - £225.00 LIMITED

3x75cl - £278.04 Inc VAT LIMITED

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Tasting Notes

  • GDH

    Goedhuis, December 2021

    La Garenne sits on the higher slopes of Puligny and produces a remarkably harmonious wine, often earlier drinking than some other wines from this commune. It displays a shining lime-green colour. The striking mineral and seashore scent recedes as a floral honeysuckle nose unfurls. Hugely appealing volume and deliciously succulent, this has richness and hedonistic attraction. Lovely.

  • NM

    Neal Martin, December 2021,
    Score: 91-93

    The 2020 Puligny-Montrachet La Garenne 1er Cru offers scents of citrus fruit, pressed white flowers and a touch of hazelnut. This opens nicely in the glass. The palate is well balanced with a fine bead of acidity, taut and fresh with a discrete peppery finish that lingers in the mouth. Impressive energy here. Good potential. Drink 2025 - 2045

  • JAM

    Jasper Morris MW, January 2022,
    Score: 91-93

    Glowing pale primrose. The nose shows a little youthful tension, with the detail of the fruit still to follow. There are quite evident grapefruit and citrus notes, rather surprising, possibly picked a day too early. Middleweight –there is never a lot of flesh here -but clean, long and balanced.

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2020

Puligny Montrachet 1er Cru Champ Gain Etienne Sauzet

3x75cl - £260.00 LIMITED

3x75cl - £320.04 Inc VAT LIMITED

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Tasting Notes

  • GDH

    Goedhuis, December 2021

    Although Champ Gain is the highest 1er Cru in the village, Sauzet’s parcel is in a spot sheltered by nearby woods, just by 1ers Crus Truffière and Folatières. This added protection leads to a style balancing weighted intensity with razor-like freshness, which is a perfect combination in 2020. Deep straw colour, with aromas of sweet blood orange. This is deeply textured and concentrated, but always bright and alive. Layered and long.

  • NM

    Neal Martin, December 2021,
    Score: 92-94

    The 2020 Puligny-Montrachet Champ Gain 1er Cru has a complex bouquet with wild peach, Clementine, smoke and a touch of walnut, gaining intensity with aeration. The palate is well balanced with a fine bead of acidity, taut and fresh, good tension here with a precise finish. I find this captures the elegance of the vintage with real panache. Excellent. Drink 2025 - 2048

  • JAM

    Jasper Morris MW, January 2022,
    Score: 92-94

    A little more on the yellow side, with quite a sunny exotic fruit on the nose. Peach and fresh apricot with summer flowers behind. Altogether more flesh on the palate though nothing too rich, the barrel just a little more present, then a tighter more saline finish.

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2020

Puligny Montrachet 1er Cru Les Perrières Etienne Sauzet

3x75cl - £285.00 LIMITED

3x75cl - £350.04 Inc VAT LIMITED

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Tasting Notes

  • GDH

    Goedhuis, December 2021

    Les Perrières’ thin topsoil and dense limestone subsoil typically produces very mineral wines with laser-like focus, and this is a very fine example even in a warmer year. Bursting with lemon sherbet and grapefruit, it has a chewy stone fruit sensation. Very driven in style with mineral bite and energy. An excellent example.

  • NM

    Neal Martin, December 2021,
    Score: 90-92

    The 2020 Puligny-Montrachet Les Perrières 1er Cru is a little more reduced on the nose and less expressive than the preceeding Les Referts. After a couple of minutes though, it develops an attractive liquorices scent. The palate is well balanced with good concentration slightly higher toned than the La Garenne and the Les Referts with good weight on the finish. Fine. Drink 2024 - 2040

  • MJ

    Matthew Jukes, January 2022,
    Score: 18.5+

    Ah, much more like it! This is a wine that shows the soaring beauty of this vineyard and just how well it fits with the Sauzet recipe. Glorious fruit and control are matched by prodigious length and freshness and what I find most enticing about this wine is the flavour – it is kaleidoscopic and immensely rewarding.

  • JAM

    Jasper Morris MW, January 2022,
    Score: 91-94

    Pale lemon in colour, another of the richer bouquets, a little more giving than Referts. Lovely white fruit on the palate, ripe pears in very good balance, a generous finish, shows where it is on the slope, but with poise. Just the right trace of acidity at the finish. Very good.

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2020

Puligny Montrachet 1er Cru Les Referts Etienne Sauzet

3x75cl - £285.00 LIMITED

3x75cl - £350.04 Inc VAT LIMITED

Info

Tasting Notes

  • GDH

    Goedhuis, December 2021

    Near the border of Meursault, Referts’ soil is a mix of clay and stones. It is renowned for making one of Puligny’s more powerfully structured 1ers Crus. Golden yellow colour. This is simply delicious, with a striking identity of freshly baked bread, Jersey cream and melon. Lots of volume and a finish of cracked walnuts and thyme.

2020

Puligny Montrachet 1er Cru Les Combettes Etienne Sauzet

3x75cl - £380.00 LIMITED

3x75cl - £464.04 Inc VAT LIMITED

Info

Tasting Notes

  • GDH

    Goedhuis, December 2021

    A fantastic 1er Cru, close to the border of Meursault and a historical favourite amongst the Sauzet family. An abundance of aromas, nuts and smoke, hints of spice and Darjeeling tea. Quite immediate on the palate, with plumpness and breadth. Flavours of clotted cream, passion fruit and lychee, followed by honeycomb and hazelnut. So rewarding, without being over the top, and a zip of acidity lifts the long complex finish.

  • NM

    Neal Martin, December 2021,
    Score: 93-95

    The 2020 Puligny-Montrachet Les Combettes 1er Cru is very harmonious on the nose with crushed stone, white flowers, Granny Smiths and a touch of grassy meadow. Given time in the glass, subtle flinty element begin emerging. The palate is well balanced and shows maybe a little more new oak at the moment (although it is the same percentage as Sauzet’s other cuvées) but with a very persistent and satisfying finish. Huge potential. Drink 2025 - 2052

  • MJ

    Matthew Jukes, January 2022,
    Score: 19+

    A little bit juicier and more flamboyant than the Perrières, this is a Grand Cru-shaped wine with superb class and spectacular depth of fruit. It is more exotic, more upholstered and also more involving and the balance, considering the scale of flavour, is tremendous.

  • JAM

    Jasper Morris MW, January 2022,
    Score: 91-94

    Clear pale lemon. Not finding very much at first on the nose. Clear white fruit at the front of the palate, drier at the finish, this does not have quite the same equilibrium as Champ Canet and En La Richarde. Certainly, rather hidden at the moment.

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Pricing

  • IN BOND prices exclude UK Duty and VAT. Wines can be purchased In Bond for storage in Private Reserves or another bonded warehouse, or for export to non-EU countries. Duty and VAT must be paid before delivery can take place.

  • RETAIL prices include UK Duty and VAT. Wines for UK delivery can only be purchased this way.

Additional Information

  • Duty Paid wines have been removed from Bond and cannot subsequently be returned to Bond.  VAT is payable on Duty Paid wines. These wines must remain Duty Paid but can be purchased as such for storage subject to VAT.

  • En Primeur wines can only be purchased In Bond. On arrival in the UK these wines can either be stored In Bond in Private Reserves or another bonded warehouse or delivered directly to you. When you decide to take delivery, Duty and VAT at the prevailing rate become payable.

Tax status

  • IB: In Bond. These wines have had no UK Duty or VAT paid on them. Wines can be purchased In Bond for storage in Private Reserves or another bonded warehouse, or for export to non-EU countries.

  • DP: Duty Paid. Wines for immediate UK delivery must be purchased Duty Paid. VAT is payable on Duty Paid wines. Wines which have been removed from Bond cannot subsequently be returned to Bond. They must remain Duty Paid but can be purchased as such for storage subject to VAT.

  • EP: En Primeur. These wines are lying in the Domaines’ cellars until shipping. They can only be purchased In Bond. On arrival in the UK these wines can either be stored In Bond in Private Reserves or another bonded warehouse or delivered directly to you. When you decide to take delivery, Duty and VAT at the prevailing rate become payable.