Belland Puligny-Montrachet 1er “Champs Gain” 2020

Roger and Julie Belland are 5th and 6th generation growers in Santenay — their wines are perennial favorites among our readers, offering early drinking and friendly pricetags. Belland’s are always delicious and precocious, but in 2020 they’re even better than usual.

This wine is very much a Puligny, giving up a bit of Chassagne’s weight for a racy elegance. The fruit and floral notes are carefully channeled across a long, very intense palate. It will need some time to develop, but its dry freshness should soften just as the floral notes in the nose begin to assert themselves and the white peach and lemon fruit melt together.