2021 Grolleau “Franc de Pied”Bernard Baudry
France | Loire
$36
Producers
Have you ever tried premier cru Puligny-Montrachet at the hands of a Saint Aubin star like Didier Larue? The grapes come from a vineyard high above the hamlet of Blagny, where there are only thirty centimeters between the limestone soil and the bedrock. Think about that for a moment. Thirty measly centimeters of pebbly earth before those hardy vines anchor themselves in whatever mineral-rich cracks and crevices they come across, gleaning scarce nutrients and suffering through droughts to produce highly concentrated grapes with amazing acidity and verve. You’ll find all the purity and energy for which Larue’s wines are known, plus the depth and richness typical of Puligny.
—Emily Spillmann
Wine Type: | white |
Vintage: | 2018 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | Chardonnay |
Appellation: | Puligny-Montrachet |
Country: | France |
Region: | Burgundy |
Producer: | Domaine Larue |
Winemaker: | Didier, Denis, and Bruno Larue |
Vineyard: | Planted 1946, 1950, 1963, 1975, .59 ha |
Soil: | Clay, Limestone, (with fossil deposits) |
Farming: | Lutte Raisonnée |
Alcohol: | 13.5% |
Domaine Larue France | Burgundy | Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru
Domaine Larue France | Burgundy | Saint-Aubin
Domaine Larue France | Burgundy | Saint-Aubin
Domaine Larue France | Burgundy | Saint-Aubin
Domaine Larue France | Burgundy | Puligny-Montrachet
Domaine Larue France | Burgundy | Blagny
In eastern central France, Burgundy is nestled between the wine regions of Champagne to the north, the Jura to the east, the Loire to the west, and the Rhône to the south. This is the terroir par excellence for producing world-class Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
The southeast-facing hillside between Dijon in the north and Maranges in the south is known as the Côte d’Or or “golden slope.” The Côte d’Or comprises two main sections, both composed of limestone and clay soils: the Côte de Nuits in the northern sector, and the Côte de Beaune in the south. Both areas produce magnificent whites and reds, although the Côte de Beaune produces more white wine and the Côte de Nuits more red.
Chablis is Burgundy’s northern outpost, known for its flinty and age-worthy Chardonnays planted in Kimmeridgian limestone on an ancient seabed. Vézelay is a smaller area south of Chablis with similar qualities, although the limestone there is not Kimmeridgian.
To the south of the Côte de Beaune, the Côte Chalonnaise extends from Chagny on its northern end, down past Chalon-sur-Saône and encompasses the appellations of Bouzeron in the north, followed by Rully, Mercurey, Givry, and Montagny.
Directly south of the Chalonnaise begins the Côte Mâconnais, which extends south past Mâcon to the hamlets of Fuissé, Vinzelles, Chaintré, and Saint-Véran. The Mâconnais is prime Chardonnay country and contains an incredible diversity of soils.
Domaine Robert-Denogent France | Burgundy | Mâcon-Villages
Domaine Taupenot-Merme France | Burgundy | Gevrey-Chambertin
Domaine Robert Chevillon France | Burgundy | Nuits-Saint-Georges
Domaine Robert Chevillon France | Burgundy | Nuits-Saint-Georges
Bruno Colin France | Burgundy | Chassagne-Montrachet
Domaine Lucien Boillot et Fils France | Burgundy | Volnay
Domaine Robert Chevillon France | Burgundy | Nuits-Saint-Georges
Didier Meuzard France | Burgundy | Ratafia de Bourgogne
Domaine Roland Lavantureux France | Burgundy | Chablis
Domaine Savary France | Burgundy | Chablis
Domaine Robert Chevillon France | Burgundy | Nuits-Saint-Georges
Régis Bouvier France | Burgundy | Bourgogne
Every three or four months I would send my clients a cheaply made list of my inventory, but it began to dawn on me that business did not pick up afterwards. It occurred to me that my clientele might not know what Château Grillet is, either. One month in 1974 I had an especially esoteric collection of wines arriving, so I decided to put a short explanation about each wine into my price list, to try and let my clients know what to expect when they uncorked a bottle. The day after I mailed that brochure, people showed up at the shop, and that is how these little propaganda pieces for fine wine were born.—Kermit Lynch
Drinking distilled spirits, beer, coolers, wine and other alcoholic beverages may increase cancer risk, and, during pregnancy, can cause birth defects. For more information go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov/alcohol
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