2011 Puligny Montrachet Les Enseigneres

Mealy suggestion on the nose and then beautifully crisp and clear on the palate with a real lime streak. Great balance and just a suggestion of matchstick. But ready – readier than many vintages at this address. (JR)

The 2011 Puligny-Montrachet Les Enseignieres has a strict, mineral-rich bouquet that is tightly wound at the moment. It is very focused, its reticence giving way to reveal undergrowth and dewy meadow scents (indeed, this bouquet evokes something “pastoral”). The palate is well-balanced with a beautiful line of acidity. This feels very suave in the mouth, harmonious and graceful, with touches of orange zest and dandelion on the finish. Drink 2016-2031. As I had anticipated, Raphael Coche requested that I visit after he had clocked off for the day. No problem – I’d rather he focuses on the vines than appease the demands of us “pesky” wine writers. This was actually my first visit to the domaine, which seems odd because it is many moons since I first fell in love with Jean-Francois Coche’s wines at a memorable tasting in London in the late 1990s. Since then, Raphael, still in his early thirties, has deftly slipped into his father’s shoes. Tall and the spitting image of papa, I had been forewarned that Raphael can be reticent at times. On the contrary, he was refreshingly garrulous, chatting not only about his own wines but enthusing about Pomerol after I espied a dusty bottle of 1987 Petrus incongruously perched on the shelf. In my opinion, and indeed others’, Raphael has subtly tweaked the style and perhaps even improved on what was already a winning formula. Recent vintages seem more consistent, perhaps even more aligned with their respective terroirs. On this visit, we tasted through most of the domaine’s 2011s that had been bottled the previous spring and are currently on the market. Raphael spoke enthusiastically about the 2011 vintage and rightly so. There is a natural sensibility to these wines, an approachability that is not always evident in their wines, proceeding to compare them to the 2001 vintage. My experience of this domaine’s wines means that I am happy to put long drinking windows for even the village crus, which I often reward a decade in bottle. Personally, I have found less premature oxidation at this address than others, in particular with respect to younger vintages, though nobody is totally immune. Importer: Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant, Berkeley, CA; tel. (510) 524-1524 and Berkmann Wines in the UK.