Etienne Sauzet Puligny-Montrachet Hameau de Blagny 2018

The 2018 Puligny-Montrachet Hameau de Blagny 1er Cru comes from a small parcel of 70-year-old vines on limestone soils just under La Garenne. It certainly displays more intensity and amplitude on the nose compared to La Garenne, offering enticing scents of quince, lemon zest and wet limestone, the 15% oak nicely integrated. The palate is medium-bodied with a very harmonious opening, veins of apricot and white peach fusing with the citrus peel and maintaining precision all the way through to the finish. Excellent.

An interesting nose reluctantly offers up hints of Asian-style tea and lemon rind along with a mix of white orchard fruit, lavender and a whiff of oak. There is slightly better density to the precise, intense and lightly mineral-inflected medium weight flavors that culminate in a clean, dry and linear finish. This is slightly better than it usually is, at least potentially and a wine that should repay mid-term keeping.