2023 Patrick Piuze Chablis "Terroir de Courgis", Burgundy, France

ABOUT THIS WINE

Courgis is from a single vineyard planted in 1937 on the left bank with clay topsoil on top of Kimmeridgian limestone bedrock. It’s typically the most weighty (think ripe, juicy pit fruit) of the Terroir wines. Fermented and aged in tank and 20% barrels.

ABOUT THIS PRODUCER

Patrick Piuze arrived in Burgundy from Montreal Canada in 2000 to work the harvest with Olivier Leflaive. What started as a one month internship, turned into what has now become one of the more exciting Chablis producers in many years. After less than 3 weeks working with him, Olivier Leflaive recognized the talent the young Piuze had and offered him the opportunity of a lifetime by asking Patrick if he wanted to head up the new winery in Chablis he was building. For 4 years Patrick made the Chablis of Leflaive, then for 1 year he produced the Chablis at Verget, and finally he was winemaker at Jean‐Marc Brocard for 3 years. With so much knowledge and experience in the appellation it was time for Patrick to go off on his own, which he did beginning with the 2008 vintage.

Perhaps being an outsider has caused Patrick to view the traditions and the terroirs of Chablis with an even greater sense of reverence than one typically finds in a young winemaker. This reverence means that when he set out, he decided he only wished to work with vines planted in the original appellation of Chablis, which has expanded more than 6 times its original size from around 1,000 hectares to over6,000 today. As Patrick likes to say “I think the monks got it right”. After many years of working with so many terroirs in Chablis, Patrick has developed not only a great knowledge of the appellation’s vineyards, but also great relationships with many of its best growers. Through this network Patrick sources some of the top sites in Chablis including six 1er Crus and six of the seven Grand Crus.