Premier Cru White Burgundy
by Dustin Soiseth
2022 Chablis 1er Cru “Beauroy”
France | Burgundy
This generous Chablis is sepia-toned and mellow. But it’s still a Chablis, with a cool finish to counter the ripeness, like a brisk breeze right off the ocean—refreshing and with just enough of a chill to give you goosebumps.
2022 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru “Sous le Puits”
France | Burgundy
Sous le puits translates to “under the well,” and the vineyard is so named because an old stone well sits among the vines. The name is fitting for this crystalline Puligny-Montrachet, which tastes as pure and refreshing as if it bubbled right up through the limestone, perhaps passing by a few oak roots on the way. A wine this pleasurable is a testament to the excellence of the vineyard, and the dedication and skill chez Larue.
2020 Meursault-Blagny 1er Cru “La Genelotte”
France | Burgundy
Great wines occasionally take me back to my time in classical music, and to earnest discussions about what makes a particular performance “great.” I’ve had similar conversations about wine, and the vocabulary sounds much the same: profundity, verve, intensity, charm, joy. Chérisey’s Genelotte is amazingly delicious and complex. For me, experiencing it is as sublime, contemplative, and joyous as Leonard Bernstein conducting Mahler with the Vienna Philharmonic. That comparison may strike others as absurd, but that’s just the nature of it. Whether it’s music or wine, at some point words begin to fail, and all that remains is the mystery of why this particular thing makes your heart sing.