I love white burgundies and have been on a bit of a kick lately. I was pleased to find this Puligny-Montrachet pop up at Costco, and despite its $45 price tag, I had to kick down. This is just what you have to pay to get wines from this region, and it delivered on every front.
The French are so particular about their winemaking, and I love it. The finished product is never too much of anything. It's an expression of the land; an interpretation of that year, that soil, that weather, from the winemaker. I wrote a short book on French wine, but the more I dig in, the more I realize the book is due for a big update, especially on Burgundy.
Back to this bottle, of which I'm a big fan. Don't serve it too cold or you will lose much of its essence. Vibrant nose, floral, spice, vanilla and oak. Apple, lemon, more citrus fruit flavor, and a finish with some more vanilla and oak. Nothing overdone, this is a balanced Chardonnay, that we really enjoyed. It didn't hurt that we paired it with some fresh Halibut (also from Costco).
Sometimes I think that if I was at a restaurant I would throw down $45 in a second for a good bottle of wine like this. That makes me spend the extra dollar for something great. So consider grabbing some halibut and this wine, and you I don't think you'll be disappointed.
CostcoWineBlog.com Rating: 91 Points
Costco item number: 647352
Purchased at Costco in: Atlanta, GA
Jim Enos says
Now we hope that you will go back and compare this wine to the Kirkland Russian River Chardonnay 2013 which you gave a rather poor review. The latter, evaluated by 5 folk here in Hawaii including the Costco wine specialist,(five bottles, two weeks) all agreed that this was a very fine if somewhat restrained example of its type, bordering on the epitome of Chardonnay, the Carneros. Not an "in-your-face" bold oaky fruit bombs but with well rounded elements with none out in front of the others but all in chorus. A real nose-in-the-glass piece of shear joy.
Your evaluation of the Pey Du Pont Medoc was also off base, a wine that had a bit of fruit forward, out of balance and killed you with tannin on the backside. A generous 85 points.
We hope you will sharpen up your future evaluations. Currently your credibility is taxed.
Aloha,
from Kailua Kona HI
admin says
Thanks for the comments. Happy to share your opinions with the group.