PULIGNY MONTRACHET

2018 1er Cru Folatières Domaine des Lambrays

EN PRIMEUR

Sunny site and this is relaxed, softly juicy, sweet and easy - very pure. Possibly the most harmonious Folatières I have tried from here. Their plot runs the full length from top to bottom, so they pack in the full range of what it has to offer.L&S (Nov 2019)

* This is a pre-shipment/primeur offer. All orders are accepted under the TERMS of this offer which differ from the terms of the rest of the site.

A pungent nose consists entirely of sulfur and reductive notes. Otherwise there is fine volume to the caressing, round and delicious medium-bodied flavors that possess a juicy, even fleshy, texture before concluding in a mildly sweet and warm finale. This forward effort should drink well after only a few years of bottle age. Drinking range: 2023 - Rating: 89-92 Allen Meadows, www.Burghound.com (Jun 2020)

The 2018 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Folatières is showing beautifully, wafting from the glass with aromas of citrus oil, crisp green pear, white flowers and warm bread. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied, elegantly textural and incisive, with racy acids, good depth at the core, and a precise finish. Rating: 92-94 William Kelley, The Wine Advocate (Jan 2020)

Tiny parcel bought in 1993 from Domaine Chartron. A sunny slope. Two zones: clay lower down and compact rock at the top. ‘Historic yields but nature did well’, says director Jacques Devauges. 100% barrel fermented with 15% new. Tank sample, ready to bottle after Christmas. Subtle leesy spice on the nose and then rich and powerful on the palate, intense citrus fruit but almost savoury. There’s a ripeness of fruit in the aroma but lots of freshness even with the full body. Ripe and spicy on the nose but with mouth-watering freshness. Very long, both rich and fresh. More exuberant than the Clos du Cailleret. Drinking range: 2020 - 2026 Rating: 16.5 Julia Harding MW, www.JancisRobinson.com (Dec 2019)

The 'Clos' consists of 8.66 hectares of land enclosed by a wall in which there is the original milestone marking its founding in 1365, confirmed in the records of the Abbaye de Citeaux (those monks knew where to place a vineyard). The Clos owes much of its current fame to the nineteenth and twentieth century proprietors who reconstituted it after the fragmentation of ownership which followed the French revolution. Despite always having been considered a Grand Cru site, the Clos was in fact classified Premier Cru in the original 1936 appellations contrôlées.

The Rodier family which owned it from the 1930s fought to regain its Grand cru status, with eventual success only in 1981, when it became the last of the thirty-three Grands Crus of Burgundy, although by then it had passed to the Saier family. Recently under the benign ownership of the Günther Freund and his family, who gave a very free hand to régisseur Thierry Brouin, who had been employed by their predecessor Rolland Pelletier de Chambure, the quality of the wines here has pushed up again. In 2014 it was bought by the LVMH group.

It has been all rather quick change here as Jacques Devauge has taken over here after a short interregnum under Boris Champy. The legacy of Thierry Brouin can still be felt, Jacques decribing him as having been 'clairvoyant' in his approach to the domaine, which has set it up well to deal with challenges of warmer vintages. Jacques seems set to take this estate onward - 'every domaine has to challenge itself to do better', he says. 2019 marks the second year being fully organic - if all goes well they will be certified after another two.

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STORAGE OPTIONS:

Wines bought en primeur are scheduled to arrive in the UK over the course of the next eighteen months. If you do not wish to take home delivery, you may wish to consider where you would like the wines shipped on arrival in the UK. Lea & Sandeman offers duty paid and in bond storage through a dedicated storage company called Elephant Storage. For more details on the terms and fees associated with storage please go to our Storage Homepage or contact our primeurs team for more information.

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BURGUNDY EN PRIMEUR FAQ

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