2013 Louis Latour Puligny Montrachet "Sous le Puits" 1er Cru 750 ml

Pulling a Louis Latour out of the cellar is something we always look forward to. Its iconic bottle and recognizable label are enough to excite friends and family—but we love to see their expression, especially when we pull out a wine like today’s 2013 Louis Latour Puligny-Montrachet “Sous le Puits” 1er Cru, one of the Côte de Beaune’s most extraordinary swoon-worthy Chardonnays. The stony, sloping soul of Puligny’s highest Premier Cru vineyard is put front and center in the glass as notes of citrus mingle with green apple while baking spices redolent of crushed almonds and toasty vanilla are underscored by a subtle honeyed character, vibrant acidity and classic flinty Puligny minerality. 

Perched some 1,300 feet above sea level, the walled Premier Cru Sous le Puits almost looks like the guardian of Puligny-Montrachet. It’s the highest vineyard in the fabled slice of the Côtes de Beaune, and its lilting southeast-facing slopes and stony soil produce fruit-driven whites marked by the flinty-mineral backbone that makes the region the gold standard for Chardonnay.

Latour winemaker Jean-Charles Thomas drops every limestone-rich nuanced note extracted from the hillside fruit into the 2013 Louis Latour “Sous le Puits,” providing each sip with a terroir-driven foundation sturdy enough to support vibrant acidity and caress pops of rich, complex fruit. It reminds us why wine collectors stop at nothing for the chance to secure a Chardonnay from these coveted slopes.

Louis Latour is not only the most-recognized name in Burgundy history, it also equates to tremendous quality. After all, 11 generations of Latours have cultivated vineyards in Burgundy, long before they’re vineyard holdings would even be named to Premier or Grand Cru status. Today, Louis Latour’s portfolio includes some of the most famous Grands Crus in Burgundy, including the biggest portion of Corton-Charlemagne. In short: they know how to produce exquisite wines from their bounty.