I am trying to keep my hands off my Saxum allocation since I have way too much already. I am also working to diversify my cellar because I have very few white Burgs left. I have always enjoyed them and have been drinking them since before most of you were born. I used to enjoy Sauzet Puligny Montrachet as my go to white back in the pre-flood days when they were much less expensive. However, I got a 404 Error when I tried to get to their website. Any comments about the domaine and its current style?
Disclaimer: I work for the importer who represents the wines here in Ontario.
Itās funny, when I was reading over the other thread about the podcast where Jean-Emmanuel Simond opines that white Burgundy has changed not necessarily for the better for people who are used to the older style, Sauzet immediately came to mind.
They are extremely powerful, especially at the 1er level and above, and I think people who are more used to the āmodernā, more tense and linear style might be taken aback by their amplitude and weight. Textbook white Burgundy, not afraid of oak framing but the fruit can support it. I find them more subtly rather than overtly mineral than a lot of other producers at their level, but the acid is still good, rarely searing.
The wines are just extremely flavourful! Which is not a flaw, IMO.
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I love their Montrachet. Especially in 14 and 17.
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Always go to the importerās site, in this case VB | Etienne Sauzet, not the producerās site, which is usually woefully out of date (if itās even functional, which in this case it appears it is not).
Is the connection to Sauzet purely alphabetical?
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Yep the 14 especially is particularly dynamite!
Overall they do make good wine, but they are still stuck on natural cork so thereās more bottle variation than I prefer. They also donāt typically overachieve in any given vintage or vineyard.
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I suffered more premox from them than anyone besides Matrot, but havenāt had any with age on them in about 12 years.
great holdings and super winemaking, but stay away from 1996-2012 or so, once again safe. Not sure when their premox experience ended. Can be fabulous wines.
Completely coincidental. I own a lifetime supply of Saxum so I need increased diversification and I had my first Sauzet Puligny at least 47 years ago. There is an auction lot of Sauzet that I noticed today that I am thinking of bidding on, but I did not want anyone to think that I am a traitor to the cause of wine with flavor.
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Their Montrachet is from Thenard, isnāt it?
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Iāve had advanced 14s from Sauzet in the last year. Iām told that since 2017 theyāve been more consistent, but I remain hesitant for that reason.
Thanks. I havenāt had Sauzetās Montrachet but have had bottles labeled as Thenard.
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As others have said, more variable (partly due to natural cork) but since about 2009 Iāve had āonlyā ~10% perhaps a bit advanced, and none oxidised. Certainly a better hit rate than Ramonet or Boillot. The Chevalier and Montrachet are sometimes great, sometimes not. The most consistent, and perhaps ābestā wine in the portfolio is the Combettes, which (alongside Leflaive) is the best example from that vineyard. The vines run right next to Lafonās Charmes in Meursault. The Bienvenue is excellent but very hard to find, and I believe many think the Batard is also āreferenceā standard (Iām not a massive fan of Batard in general, so withhold judgment). The Champ Canet is really solid, but without the flair and concentration of Combettes (or flasher 1er Cru vineyards).
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Can I pick some up in Toronto next month?
Plebeian opinion here but Iāve only had the 1er and BBs. Been buying and drinking the BB since the ā12 vintage and found it delicious, reliable, and consistent with vintage variation. Still good value. The Combettes is very good, had it in multiple vintages since ā08 and never had premox problems. Buy the BB and see what you think and age the 1er s a few years. A good producer undervalued for Burgundy IMHO.
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Friends,
I must admit to always having been a fan of domaine SAUZET. Premox hit the wines badly in 96 (as somebody else in this thread already mentioned). To me COMBETTES, Bienvenues , Batard and Champ Canet are the standouts and I find them to always deliver. The PUILIGNY VILLAGES 2018 was a disappointment however. Perhaps I drank it too soon.
A 2020 BB last week was fine. Surprisingly rich for an entry level.
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I am a fan of Sauzet, but the wines are getting very expensive now even at release price. Which other producers do people like in this slightly richer, less reductive style? (I have a good PYCM allocation to cover off the steely, reductive sideā¦)
Iām a big fan of that BB, itās good stuff