Guillemard-Clerc - Puligny-Montrachet Les Meix 2020
Price: $74.99
Sale Price: $59.99
| Producer | Guillemard-Clerc |
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| Country | France |
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| Region | Burgundy |
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| Subregion | Puligny-Montrachet |
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| Varietal | Chardonnay |
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| Vintage | 2020 |
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| Sku | 15020 |
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| Size | 750ml |
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Know why I love Google Earth so much? Because it exposes the ridiculously arbitrary classification of Grand, Premier and plain old appellation level wines in Burgundy. Case in point… exhibit 30 or so?
We’re looking east heading out of the town of Puligny-Montrachet. To our immediate left is the plain old Puligny-Montrachet vineyard of Rue Rousseau. (Online example is $85 per bottle). Just through the intersection, on the right, is the 1er Cru vineyard Les Pucelles (online average around $150 per bottle and as high as $579!). What do you figure? A hop, skip and maybe two jumps across the road to the left and you are in the Grand Cru vineyard Bienvenues-Batard-Montrachet. The least expensive example I see online is $225, with most in the $300-400 range.
Oh… right… the vineyard to our right? That’s “Les Meix”, home of today’s little darling.
Now, as you head up the road, to where the slope starts, you get into Montrachet proper. I suppose there are some micro-climatic differences and some subtle soil changes as you start climbing. But down here? Where we are standing? Yeah, right. In our mind, we envision some sort of huge difference… something substantial and definitely visible to warrant the classification of Grand and 1er Cru that adds hundreds of dollars to a bottle. But the reality… well, you can see for yourself.
Oh sure… the best producers, because they can charge so much for the 1er and Grand Cru designation, will lavish the wine with the fanciest of new oak barrels. And they can afford to pay someone to pull individual leaves off the vines to ensure the most perfect ripening. Add some magic fairy dust, and we’ve justified the price.
Or you can just look at the picture… look at the map… and grab this spectacular gem!
A whopping 75 cases are produced from 3 barrels. The barrels are 1, 2 and 3 years old so as to lessen the oak “impact” on the wine. A gorgeous nose of honeysuckle and white flowers, tropical fruit and citrus give way to plush, creamy flavors of peach and yellow plum. Despite the ripeness of fruit, the wine retains vibrant acidity and minerality. It is the rare Puligny that is eminently drinkable now, but will age gracefully for years.
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