Pethel’s 2007 Puligny-Montrachet – which comes from the Suis les Puits sector – smells of Normandy cider, ripe peach, and pungently bitter-sweet iris and buddleia perfume. Subtly silken in feel and exceptionally rich for a village-level wine, its hints of peach kernel and chalk, fresh lime and grapefruit with their zests lend counterpoint, invigoration, and refreshment. This is one of those 2007s that make me think of Riesling. Piquant nuttiness emerges as this lusciously, purely-fruited, brightly citric wine takes on air, and it finishes strikingly fleet of foot. I expect this will continue to give enormous pleasure for half a dozen or more years, although a track record has yet to be established for it at this address.
North Carolinian Blair Pethel – whose adventures in Burgundy I briefly summarized in issue 180 – did not start harvesting whites until well into the second week of September (granted, he has modest acreage) and finished by picking his Corton Charlemagne on September 17, though it seemed to surprise him to hear me call that “late.” All of his whites were bottled in March, 2009. Among the illustrations of Pethel’s quality-consciousness – besides what's obvious in the glass! – is his selection of two different tonneliers each year to supply his barrels (around one third new annually), as he gradually narrows the field and decides with whom to work on a regular basis in future. “I haven’t repeated yet,” he says, revealing his determined spirit of controlled experimentation, “but after this year 2009, I’m going to make a choice.” For a note on Pethel’s extraordinary 2007 Chablis Preuses, readers are urged to consult my report on Chablis elsewhere in this issue.
A Becky Wasserman Selection (various importers), Le Serbet; fax 011- 333-80-24-29-70; also imported by Pas Mal Selections, New York, NY; tel. (201) 567 2028 and Schneider’s of Capital Hill, Washington, DC tel. (202) 543 9300
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