“The greatest white wine commune on earth” – that’s how Master of Wine Clive Coates describes Puligny-Montrachet. Known for its singular purity and depth, Puligny is white Burgundy at its most regal.
Roger Belland makes several cuvées of lush, broad, mouthfilling wines from Chassagne-Montrachet, but his only cuvée from Puligny showcases the town’s unique electric vibrancy. His 50+ year old vines in the premier cru “Champs Gain” produce a distilled, intense wine of profound depth.
This wine stopped us in our tracks at the domaine in April. It was certainly the wine of the tasting, and a candidate for wine of the trip. It’s hardly cheap, but greatness rarely is.
Belland is a 5th generation domaine based in Santenay, making accessible, well-made wines at reasonable prices. The domaine’s style is fruit-forward and mouthfilling, an approach that lends itself well to the naturally round wines of Santenay and Chassagne-Montrachet.
But in 2017 Belland’s Puligny was simply a homerun. They perfectly balanced the ripeness of the vintage and house style with up-slope Puligny’s pulsating tension. It’s only subtly oaked (6 months), leaving the stage open for astonishing intensity and depth from fruit — look for white flowers, stones, grapefruit, lemon zest, and honey.
Belland’s plot is just under an acre, producing barely 200 cases per year. If you have a taste for high end white Burgundy, this is tension-filled, powerful, and immaculately polished — full of depth, stones, intensity and life.
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Belland Puligny-Montrachet
1er cru “Champs Gain” 2017
bottle price: $99
FREE EAST COAST SHIPPING ON ANY 12 BOTTLES