Who makes it
Jeanine Boillot, Etienne Sauzet's granddaughter, and her husband Gérard Boudot manage a Puligny-Montrachet domaine devoted to white Chardonnay. Its Grand Cru wines include Montrachet, Chevalier-Montrachet, and Bâtard-Montrachet. Grand Cru is Burgundy's top vineyard classification, so the term marks a classified vineyard level on the label rather than a grape or cellar method.
The range also includes Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru wines and Corton-Charlemagne. The domaine's work therefore runs from named Premier Cru sites to several Grand Cru wines, all within a white Chardonnay range.
Where it grows
Domaine Etienne Sauzet is based at 11 rue de Poiseul in Puligny-Montrachet, in Côte d'Or, Burgundy. The vineyard holdings also extend across Chassagne-Montrachet and Cormot-le-Grand, placing three commune names behind the domaine's farming.
Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru appears on wines such as Champ Canet and Les Combettes. Montrachet, Chevalier-Montrachet, and Bâtard-Montrachet carry Grand Cru status, so the labels distinguish village, Premier Cru, and Grand Cru vineyard levels within Burgundy's hierarchy.
How it is made
The cellar
The white wines are made from Chardonnay. Fermentations are conducted in oak barrels, a method that brings the wine into contact with wood during its alcoholic transformation. The wines then age on lees for approximately 10 to 12 months. Lees are spent yeast cells left after fermentation, and time with them can broaden texture and add savoury depth.
The oak regime changes with vineyard level. Premier Cru wines receive between 20 and 33 percent new oak, while Grand Cru wines receive 40 percent new oak during élevage. The cellar therefore uses more new wood as the bottles move into the Grand Cru tier.
What they make
The range includes Bourgogne Blanc, Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru Les Combettes, Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru Champ-Canet, Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru, Montrachet Grand Cru, Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru, and Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru. Every wine is white and made from Chardonnay.
Bourgogne Blanc occupies the regional level, followed by named Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru wines and the Grand Cru bottles. Bâtard-Montrachet has a rich, complex character, with aromas of lemon, butter, almond, honey, and spices. The level of the vineyard name changes alongside the oak regime described in the cellar.