Puligny Montrachet 1er Cru La Garenne 2024 Maison Gautheron d'Anost

The 2024 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru La Garenne from Maison Gautheron d'Anost is a white Premier Cru from the Côte de Beaune. Chardonnay, limestone and scree underneath, vines averaging around 35 years.

2024 asked a lot of Burgundy. Rain that started in autumn 2023 barely let up, sunlight hours ran 10% below normal, and mildew pressure was constant on the flatter ground. But mid-slope Premier Cru sites like La Garenne drained, and they flowered earlier, when conditions were still decent. Chardonnay came through better than Pinot Noir here: losses in the Côte de Beaune ran 10 to 20% for the whites, against up to 50% for the reds. Picking started around 12 September for most growers and was largely done by the 24th.

What that gives is a Puligny of modest alcohol and bright acidity, cooler in fruit profile than the riper vintages that have become normal. Growers also pulled back on new oak in 2024. Sensible, given how light the fruit was. This is a taut, saline style of La Garenne rather than a broad one.