"An authentic masterpiece! This wine should be regarded as the yardstick by which all other Burgundies should be judged. The color has a splendid golden sheen. On the nose, a multitude of aromas are a pleasure to discover: floral notes of lily of the valley, peach blossom, exotic fruit, honey, grilled almonds, even exotic woods at times. On the palate, the structure is dominated by a harmonious roundness which never imparts any heaviness. The aftertaste is exceptionally long and enhances the finesse of the whole. A glorious symphony of sensations!"
-Veronique Boss-Drouhin
This world-famous estate belongs to one of the oldest and most aristocratic French families: the Marquis de Laguiche. Out of the 14 different owners, the Marquis de Laguiche family is propriétaire of the largest portion of Le Montrachet, entirely located in Puligny (according to many authorities, the better side). It has been in their hands since 1363.
It is ironical that the hillside of Montrachet, producing Burgundy's most prestigious white wine (and in some say the world's most complex), should look so unprepossessing. The etymology of the place-name is actually instructive : the word rachet refers to a poor type of soil where only scrawny bushes can grow. It is therefore on this "poor, hard, infertile" soil, which geologists call Bathonian limestone, that the Chardonnay grape develops this unique "terroir" character.
Montrachet is full bodied and luscious, yet elegant. It is only after a few years in bottle that it will develop its famous complexity and richness. Nose and aftertaste are reminiscent of exotic fruit, honey, liquorice, grilled almond and many other flavours which wine lovers over the years have attempted to analyse. But it is perhaps a musical word which can best describe this glorious wine: a symphony of sensations.
As good and refined as several of the foregoing wines are, this is the clear class of the cellar with moderate wood notes framing a fresh, intense and airy nose that sports impressive aromatic breadth while merging into exceptionally rich and intense full-bodied flavors that possess seemingly buckets of dry extract which gives the finish a textured and naturally sweet character. A wine of power yet excellent energy and focus and this too is both quite primary and youthfully austere at present. A potentially great Drouhin Montrachet. 94-96
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