2011 Puligny Montrachet Clos de la Garenne Duc de Magenta

The 2011 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Clos de la Garenne Duc du Magenta has superb precision and minerality on the nose with just a hint of blackberry leaf creeping in. The palate has a spicy opening, a little more fatness than Jadot’s fellow 2011s, but it retains that keen thread of acidity. Good substance on the finish that lingers in the mouth almost like a Chassagne. Very fine. This was the first time I had been back to Louis Jadot’s expansive winery on the northern outskirts of Beaune since their memorable 150th anniversary tasting back in 2008. As I quipped in the previous issue, Jacques Lardiere was then talking about his imminent retirement that seemed to never come. But on this occasion, there was new winemaker Frederic Barnier there to greet me. He has large shoes to fill but he seems up to the task of steering this important Burgundy name to a new chapter, having worked alongside Jacques for a couple of years. “At the beginning, we were not so confident about the whites,” he explained in reference to his 2011s, “but it has been a nice surprise. The dry spring of 2011 affected the level of ripeness but it has lent freshness, but with low acidity.” We did not have time to taste the entire portfolio of over 80 crus, but instead took a sample of 20 white and reds from both the 2010 and 2011 vintages. Importer: Kobrand, Purchase, NY; tel. (914) 253-7700