Among the legendary Premier Crus of the Côte de Beaune, the Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Referts 2022 from Louis Latour asserts itself as a luminous reading of Burgundian Chardonnay. This precise wine, both generous and taut, combines Puligny’s characteristic limestone tension with a controlled creaminess, like a clear ink stroke on fine laid paper. It is aimed at lovers of refined wines seeking tactile emotion, those who favour balance and depth over aromatic showiness. At the table, it solves the eternal equation of the great gastronomic white—one that embraces both the iodine of shellfish and the silkiness of poultry in cream, without ever losing its line. Its signature, composed of toasted almond, citrus, honey and peach, glides towards a persistent finish where hints of sea air and a touch of gentle spice emerge. A Premier Cru conceived for contemplative tasting, but also for moments of sharing where the flesh of the dish and the architecture of the wine elevate each other.

Blend and winemaking

This Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru is a pure Chardonnay, from the Les Referts climat, a hillside terroir renowned for producing wines that are both generous and finely chiselled. Maison Louis Latour, heir to a two‑century savoir‑faire, conducts an interpretation where fruit radiance meets a muted dialogue with wood, for a harmonious texture and a complex aromatic profile. The carefully selected harvest preserves the grape’s juicy heart, while the measured ageing brings patisserie-like relief, evoking praline, apple tart and lemon cake. The minerality, ever present, signs the wine with a striking, almost tactile line that guides the palate from the first to the last gesture. The 2022, sunny and precise, expresses serene ripeness supported by structuring acidity, a guarantee of slow and graceful cellar evolution. Every detail of the making aims at clarity, depth and structure, so the bottle will travel through the years with effortless elegance.

Tasting notes

• Appearance: Pale bright yellow with light golden highlights, crystal-clear clarity. The substance, with a lovely viscosity, announces a broad palate while still revealing the energy of the terroir.
• Nose: Initial movement on toasted almond and citrus zest, then nuances of white peach, apple tart and lemon cake. A mineral thread runs through the whole, joined by accents of praline and butterscotch, without heaviness, like a perfectly measured pastry caress.
• Palate: Round and generous attack, enveloping and broad texture. Acacia honey and ripe citrus intertwine, supported by a saline tension that stretches the sap. Persistent finish, echoing sea air, juicy peach and oak spices, leaving an impression of clarity and harmony.

Serving temperature and tips

Serve between 10 et 12°C in large white wine glasses to highlight the aromatic range and the texture. A gentle aeration, a few minutes before serving, allows the citrus, fine pastry and mineral notes to reach their fullness. A light decant in the early years can be considered to open up the volume without altering the energy. Store bottles calmly, away from light, at a constant temperature. The 2022 shows a recommended cellaring potential of 2026 to 2033, a period during which structural freshness and gourmand nuances will converse with increasing complexity.

Food pairings

• Aperitifs: fine oysters, clams and fish rillettes. The iodine answers the minerality, the marine flesh embraces the roundness, all carried by a salinity that awakens the appetite.
• Starters: scallop carpaccio, warm lobster with citrus, shelled crab. The wine’s citrus notes converse with the marine sweetness, revealing a savoury, precise elegance.
• Main courses: roasted turbot, sole meunière, free‑range poultry with cream and morels, delicately pan‑seared veal. The generous body wraps noble textures, the tension provides the necessary length.
• Cheeses: aged Comté, alpine Beaufort, tomme from the Jura. The almond, honey and pastry notes find a perfectly matched milky counterpoint.
• Desserts: thin, lightly sweetened lemon tart, almond‑citrus entremets. The wine’s lemony and praline flavours prolong the indulgence without overpowering it.

Tasting occasions

The Puligny‑Montrachet Les Referts 2022 from Louis Latour is the companion for moments when precision and emotion are sought:

• During a gourmet dinner where the food‑and‑wine pairing must play out like a finely chiselled, luminous score.
• For a shared moment among enthusiasts, around seafood and melting poultry, when conversation calls for nuance.
• As a connoisseur's gift, destined for a palate sensitive to the purity of great Burgundian whites.

Characteristics

• Name: Louis Latour, Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Referts 2022
• Appellation: Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru AOC
• Type: Dry white wine
• Vintage: 2022
• Grape variety: Chardonnay (100%)
• Alcohol content: N. C.
• Aging: details not provided
• Volume: 75 cl
• Cellaring: 2026 to 2033
• Serving temperature: 10–12°C