Domaine Bitouzet-Prieur - Puligny-Montrachet "Les Levrons" 2022 (750ml)
Price: $179.99
| Producer | Domaine Bitouzet-Prieur |
| Country | France |
| Region | Burgundy |
| Varietal | Chardonnay |
| Vintage | 2022 |
| Sku | 205270 |
| Size | 750ml |
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Domaine Bitouzet-Prieur Description
A committed classicist, Vincent Bitouzet has provided us with over thirty-years worth of structured, demanding, age-worthy, satisfying wines, both red and white, from the heart of the Cote de Beaune. Based in Volnay and blessed with extensive holdings in Meursault as well, this domaine is a tried and true standard bearer for all that is fundamentally good and sound in Burgundy: conscientious and sensitive work in the vineyards, respect above all for the specific character of each lieu-dit, patience and attention to detail in the cellar, and a commitment to producing wines of depth and, of critical importance, longevity. To truly understand great white and red burgundy, one must wait for these grand expressions of terroir to mature to reveal their splendor and spectacular nuance.
Vincent Bitouzet's ancestral roots in Burgundy cover at least the last two centuries. His great-great grandfather, M. Gillotte, arrived in Auxey Duresses in 1802 and was mayor of that village. In 1804, the Bitouzet line settled in Volnay. The Bitouzets were one of the first of the family domaines in this region to bottle their wines. Vincent's grandfather had already garnered medals for his winemaking talents in 1860. Vincent's wife, Annie Prieur, has equally distinguished antecedents. Her family (both Prieurs and Perronnets) was long established in Meursault and Ladoix. The resulting "merger" of the Bitouzet and Prieur family holdings has created a domaine of distinction and breadth. Francois Bitouzet, the only son of Vincent and Annie, is now working hand-in-hand with his parents as he maintains the deep Burgundian roots of his ancestors.
Bitouzet’s lone Puligny-Montrachet is produced from a 0.6-hectare 1955 planting (half replanted in 2000) in the lieu-dit Les Levrons, which lies just below premier cru Les Referts on the slope in the northern part of the village. François crafts a Puligny of impeccable, crystalline clarity from this site, with great length and persistence on the palate. It displays more filigree, citrus-tinged fruit than his Meursaults, but with an equally authoritative, if less weighty, undercarriage of earth-derived minerality.
Burghound: 89 Points
Here too there is enough wood present to merit mentioning on the more floral-suffused and very fresh nose of white peach and pear scents. The rich, generous and beautifully textured middleweight flavors also possess a sleek mouthfeel while delivering fine length on the chiseled and dry but not austere finish. This could also use better depth but again, that should just be a matter of patience.
Vinous: 87-89 Points
The 2022 Puligny-Montrachet Les Levrons is a little austere on the nose, much more backward than the Meursault Santenots. The palate is well-balanced with a keen thread of acidity, malic in style with cooking apple and pear towards a somewhat conservative finish. Fine.
