Sauzet

History

Étienne Sauzet started with only a few rows of vines, inherited in the first half of the 20th century. As he wanted to move on, he bought new vineyards which finally ended up in having an estate of approximately twelve hectares in Puligny-Montrachet. When he died in 1975, he was one of the most renowmed winemakers in the village.

The estate passed to his granddaughter, Janine, and her husband, Gérard Boudot, who took over management in 1974 and spent four decades building the reputation the domaine enjoys today. Then a problem arose. In 1991, the estate was divided into three parts amongst Sauzet’s grandchildren, and one of them, Jean-Marc Boillot, took his share in the form of the vineyards themselves rather than cash. As a result, overnight, the vineyard area was reduced by about a third, leaving the estate with just under nine hectares of its own land.

Boudot’s solution was to start purchasing grapes. The commercial division he set up enabled the estate to continue offering the full range of wines it had always produced, and this is precisely how some of the finest wines are still produced today. The family enters into long-term contracts with grape growers rather than purchasing grapes on the open market.

Today, the winery is run by the fourth generation: Émilie Boudot, the daughter of Gérard and Janine, who joined the business in 2000, and her husband Benoît Riffault, who joined in 2002.

Vineyards and terroir

The estate currently cultivates fifteen hectares situated in Puligny-Montrachet, Chassagne-Montrachet and Cormot-les-Grands in the Hautes-Côtes de Beaune region. Around nine of these are wholly owned, whilst the remainder are leased under contractual agreements.

Puligny is situated on clay-limestone slopes, and it is the drainage and stoniness of the soil that largely determine the style of the wines: dense, mineral wines with acidity that persists for many years. The estate’s vineyards range from ‘village’ plots around the houses to Premier Cru plots on the hillside and up to four Grand Cru plots at the top of the hill.

Organic farming has been practised since 2006, and biodynamic farming since 2010. Émilie describes this more as a natural choice than as a statement of principle, the result of twenty years of attention to the life of the soil.

Grape varieties

Only Chardonnay.The estate does not produce red wine.

Winemaking

The grapes are gently pressed and fermented in oak barrels, with the proportion of new barrels kept at a moderate level, approximately 30 percent for Premier Cru and 40 percent for Grand Cru. The wines are then aged on fine lees for up to eighteen months before bottling, which defines their texture. Yields are kept low.

Wines

Four Grand Crus: ‘Batar-Montrachet’ and ‘Bienven-Batar-Montrachet’, made from grapes grown in the family’s own vineyards, as well as ‘Chevalier-Montrachet’ and ‘Le Montrachet’, produced mainly from purchased grapes.

Next in rank are the nine Puligny-Montrachet ‘Premier Cru’ wines, including ‘Les Combettes’, ‘Les Perrières’, ‘Cham-Canet’, ‘Les Folatières’, ‘Les Réfer’, ‘La Garenne’, ‘Cham-Gain’ and ‘Amou de Bligny’, as well as the village Puligny and ‘Bourgogne Blanc’.

Three interesting facts

The domaine is situated at 11 rue de Poiseul in Puligny-Montrachet,  on an unremarkable street in the Puligny Montrachet. So you do not have a clue what is behind the door.

Jean-Marc Boillot, the grandson who left the family’s third of the vineyards, subsequently built his own respected estate.

Six letters, one grape variety. The family describes the name ‘Sauzet’ as a tribute to Chardonnay: a misson statement.