Château de Puligny was a slumbering force until it was finally awoken by the arrival of Etienne de Montille in time to oversee the 2001 vintage. Under Etienne, yields have been drastically reduced and the wines are handled much more sympathetically in the cellar so that the quality of the fruit dominates the oak.

In 2012 Étienne and investors purchased the property and radically reformed the estate, dropping unsuitable vineyards, converting to organic (and indeed biodynamic) farming, and further improving the winemaking. Etienne also makes the wines at his family's Domaine in Volnay, where a lighter touch is also in recent vintages. Puligny needs more Premiership performers, and Château de Puligny has already established its credentials as an elite representative. Tucked away behind the two ‘Montrachet’ villages, Saint-Aubin is an excellent source of fine, steely white Burgundy and some attractively fruity reds. The production used to be about 50:50 between the two colours, but the increasingly popular whites now represent two-thirds of the crop. There is a vast difference between the best Premiers Crus (ie En Remilly) and the vineyards further up the valley.

The most easterly of St Aubin’s vineyards, this is immediately behind Le Montrachet, lying southwest below Les Murgers des Dents de Chien. The soils are heavier, and there was no frost in 2016. There are a lot of old vines in the 1.7-hectare plot and this is an exceptional example of the village indeed. The top notes are flinty and energetic, while the palate unfurls with a weight to match the promise of the bouquet.