Description
Domaine de Chérisey Les Chalumeaux 1er Cru Puligny Montrachet 2019
The lost hamlet of Blagny, up in the hills between Puligny-Montrachet and Meursault in the Côte d’Or in Burgundy, is home to Domaine Comtesse de Chérisey. You may have heard the name “Blagny” before, attached to a bottle of premier cru Meursault-Blagny, or perhaps even a bottle of the increasingly rare Blagny rouge. Monks were the first inhabitants, planting vines in the 14th century. This almost magical, lost-in-time corner of the world boasts a unique microclimate, with a slightly different average temperature, exposition and soil than the rest of Burgundy.
Hand-harvested, rigorous grape sorting before the crush. Direct pressing, settling of the juice for 12 hours then racked directly into 228-L oak barrels, the percentage of new oak and the length of aging depend on the vintage. Vineyard planted in 1946.
Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Chalumaux derives from the lowest in altitude of all the domaine’s holdings, and that naturally translates to riper fruit tones and broader shoulders, albeit rendered in Martelet’s characteristically pure, precise style. Aromas of honey, crisp yellow orchard fruit and lime blossom preface a medium to full-bodied, fleshy but incisive wine with lovely energy and a more generous and expansive finish than any of the other bottlings in the range.
“This vineyard is located between two of my all-time favorites, Puligny “Les Truffières” and Meursault-Perrières. Not a bad place to be from, if you are a Chardonnay vine. Truffles and stones! Les truffes et les pierres. This beauty doesn’t dazzle in the mind-boggling sense. To me, however, it brings to mind the great old white Burgundies I knew before there were superstar vintners and numerical scores. There is something deeply solid and reassuring about it, something timeless and inspiring.” – Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant
