Grand Cru Montrachet for $150? No, sorry, that’s been a fool’s errand for decades. Try $800 for the “cheapest” bottling, $1,000-5,000 for elite-tier growers, 15 large for DRC, and over $20K for Leflaive. If that has your stomach churning, I have tremendous news: For all those who want to get as stylistically and geographically close to Montrachet as possible, today’s 2020 “Le Cailleret” from legendary Domaine de la Pousse d’Or is one of the hottest, rarest, and most allocated tickets around.
Although it’s an indisputable fact that “Montrachet” stands alone at the luxurious pinnacle of Grand Cru Chardonnay, the savviest buyers know Premier Cru “Le Cailleret” is within literal striking distance. I found that out firsthand during my first visit many years ago: As I sat on the old rock wall of Montrachet, I picked up a pebble and tossed it across a narrow path where it landed in Le Cailleret—that’s how close it is. Here, Pousse d’Or owns a treasured 0.8-hectare sliver of biodynamic vines that produce a boundlessly opulent 1er Cru with perfect tension and substantial depth. Each year, their precious allocation is carefully rationed out to key players around the globe, making it one of the world’s most sought-after white Burgundies. While securing a full case would be a highly intelligent move for collectors, it’s something we cannot come close to accommodating. No more than six bottles per person. Two earns you complimentary shipping.
As our Burgundy-loving contingent is aware, Domaine de la Pousse d’Or is one of France’s blue-chip estates with a history that dates back to the 16th century. Furthermore, at one point in the 1800s, it was part of a larger domaine that included immortalized legends DRC and Clos de Tart! The property’s resurgence and modern-day fame came in the mid-20th century when Gérard Potel married into the estate in and began laying a solid foundation. Upon his death in the ’90s, the estate was handed over to current winemaker Patrick Landanger. Over the decades, he has worked tirelessly to (1) acquire some of Burgundy’s best parcels, (2) convert his farming to biodynamics, and (3) craft resolutely traditional wines with a long track record for aging. Today, all three are on vivid display.
Look at a map and you’ll see just how perfectly positioned the Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru “Le Cailleret” vineyard is: it abuts Grand Cru “Montrachet” from the north, and does so at the same point of the slope. Sourced from a 0.8-hectare parcel, Landanger’s naturally farmed grapes are harvested and meticulously sorted, leaving him with very small yields. The wine ferments with indigenous yeasts in 350-liter French oak barriques, 50% new. It then ages for one year in the same 50-50 mix of new and used oak. Following the lunar cycle, the wine is bottled via gravity without fining or filtration.
As always, if consuming this in its youth—within its first 2-3 years—I would advise pulling the cork a few hours prior and allowing the bottle to breathe in a cool environment. Alternatively, you can decant it 60-90 minutes prior to serving. This is a sublime, extraordinarily textured Premier Cru that explodes with luxurious golden orchard fruits alongside a harmonious symphony of baking spice and pulverized limestone minerality. The finish is outstandingly long and complex. While I do encourage consuming one soon (my bottle was spectacular), please know it will reward longer aging and blossom into a deeply memorable, cellar-worthy Burgundy. Never forget: this rare gem is immediately adjacent to the world’s most venerated and punishingly expensive Chardonnays. It’s not cheap, but it’s still highway robbery for $150!
