|
|
Patrick Piuze Chablis Terroir de Courquis
In 2000, Patrick moved to Burgundy after running a wine bar in Montreal for two years. That first autumn in Burgundy, he harvested with Olivier Leflaive in Puligny Montrachet. After training at the CFPPA in Beaune, Leflaive entrusted Piuze with the vinification of all of his Chablis. Piuze developed his savoir-faire for four years making Chablis for Leflaive before making a change. Next he spent a year at Verget with Jean-Marie Guffens where he explored his passion for the distinct terroirs of Chablis. At this point in his career he was getting recognized for the high quality wines he was making and after just a year at Verget, Jean-Marc Brocard recruited him to be his cellar master and head wine maker. During this period, Piuze made the most important decision of his life and decided to go out on his own and bottle under his own name.
He carefully chose land throughout Chablis, focusing on obtaining old-vines situated in prime locations. Several of his parcels border Raveneau's. Patrick Piuze is obsessed with drawing out the essence of terroir and bottles four separate cuvees at the Villages level (where most producers would blend each of these plots together to make their entry-level wine). This wine comes from two parcels near the Village of Courgis with an average vine age of 50 years old. Vinified and aged in stainless steel.
A less expressive nose of mineral reduction, citrus and sea breeze gives way to mineral-driven, rich, round and broad middle weight flavors that finish quite dry. A solid if not sensational villages.--Allen Meadows of Burghound 88 points!!!
Smoke, slate and ash are some of the notes that emerge from the 2009 Chablis Terroir de Courgis. This is a decidedly tighter, more focused style with abundant minerality, focus and drive. A long, polished finish rounds things out in style. The inner tension here is quite typical of Courgis. According to Piuze, the plots have a higher percentage of clay than in many other vineyards. This is the last parcel Piuze harvests.
Patrick Piuze's resume includes stints with Olivier Leflaive, Jean Marie Guffens and Domaine Brocard. A desire for more of a hands on approach in all facets of winemaking led Piuze to start his own micro-negociant operation a few years ago. All of the wines are fermented with ambient yeasts and are aged on their lees in steel and neutral oak with no batonnage. Of the premier crus, the Vaillons, Forets and Butteaux are aged entirely in oak, as are all of the grand crus. The wines go through full malolactic fermentation. Stylistically, the wines lean towards the Cote d Or in terms of their personalities. In 2009, Piuze began picking on September 14, earlier than normal, and the wines also went into bottle early (before the 2010 harvest), both with the aim of trying to maintain as much freshness as possible. About 50% of the wines are aged in neutral oak. Some of the gems in this lineup are in the entry level offerings, where there may be less competition for higher quality fruit than in some of the more prestigious sites within Chablis. I was only able to taste one 2010, as the rest of the wines had not yet been bottled at the time of my visit. I also sampled a number of 2008s, including the Vaucoupin, Vaillons, Blanchots and Les Clos, all of which were very pretty.--Antonio Galloni of Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Though round, this white has a deep vein of mineral at its center, joined by apple, lemon, floral and oyster shell notes to add layers and complexity. Beautifully balanced and refreshing. Drink now through 2015.--Wine Spectator
|
Item No: 08742
Size: 750ML
|
Patrick Piuze Chablis Terroir de Courquis
Vineyard Price: $19.95  | Original Price: $27.99 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
