2014 Domaine J-L & F Chavy Puligny-Montrachet

200 Years of Perfecting Puligny

The sleeper hit of Puligny-Montrachet, the 2014 Domaine J-L & F Chavy dazzles with its honeysuckle-infused aromatics and mouthwatering minerality. Like other famous familles of the appellation (Carillon, Leflaive), the Chavy clan has been making wine here for centuries, going back 200 years. This luscious effort from Domaine Chavy, culled from 20- to 60-year-old vines, is one of his finest releases yet. Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate says Chavy’s wines are “well worth seeking out” — never more so than in the extraordinary 2014 white Burgundy vintage, the best in 30 years. Only 235 cases were imported to the U.S. Elsewhere $75, today from Wine Access just $49.99 per bottle.

Puligny-Montrachet produces what many say is the greatest Chardonnay in the world. Home to the highest number of Grand Cru plots in the Côte de Beaune, the soils are Burgundian par excellence, rich in deep limestone that lends these golden whites their vivid minerality. The ancient stewards of this priceless terroir — the Carillons, Leflaives, Chartrons — are familiar to every collector. Though the Chavy name is less well-known, the family has roots just as deep, established on Puligny-Montrachet soil for two centuries.

The Chavys primarily sold wine to negociants until 1986 when Gerard Chavy began bottling publicly under the label Domaine Gerard Chavy et Fils, which gained a sterling reputation. When Gerard retired in 1998, the domaine’s vineyards passed into the hands of his two sons, Jean-Louis and Alain. In 2003, they split the holdings.

Today Jean-Louis tends to 17 acres of vineyards in the appellation, including prized Premier Cru parcels in Les Perrières, Les Folatières, and Le Clavoillons. His releases are “well worth seeking out,” advises Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate, while Burghound has awarded “outstanding” status to a number of his wines. The village cuvée is consistently one of the best values of Puligny-Montrachet, offering taut elegance at a razor-sharp price. For the 2014 release, he drew on the fruit of 20- to 60-year-old vines in eight different parcels including Les Tremblots (home to vines planted in 1970, offering chalky minerality) and Corvée des Vignes (bordering on Meursault).

In 2014, these plots performed miraculously, as critics hailed the year as one of the all-time classics for white Burgundy. Wine Spectator awarded the vintage a 96-point rating, the highest since 1984. The Wine Advocate declared that “Puligny-Montrachet is the appellation that boasts the highest quality in 2014,” adding “there is no question that in 2014 the Puligny-Montrachets have all the hallmarks of greatness: nervosité, tension and precision.”

Exceptional value finds from this vintage are few and far between. This beautifully balanced effort from Domaine Chavy — is the exception.

Sur Lucero MS

Master Sommelier

• Fruit Intensity
• Oak Intensity
• Body
• Sweetness
• Acidity

• ABV 13.00%
• 30 mins
• Drink Up
• % Chardonnay
• Serving temperature – 45°
• Cork