2022 Patrick Piuze Chablis Grand Cru "Blanchots"

The 2022 Chablis Grand Cru Blanchots is very promising, bursting with aromas of orange zest, citrus blossom, buttery pastry and fresh hazelnuts. Full-bodied, satiny and layered, it's elegantly textural, with attractive mid-palate depth and purity. Quebecois Patrick Piuze, who established his eponymous maison in Chablis after stints working with Jean-Marie Guffens and Brocard, has produced a fine set of 2022s. These are some of the richer, more textural wines that I've tasted at this address, despite Piuze being a comparatively early harvester. Readers will remember the rudiments of Piuze's approach: hand-harvested grapes are pressed firmly in old Vaslin presses, their juice fermented in used barrels and stainless steel, with sur lie élevage of comparatively short duration, because Piuze wishes to capture the maximum of freshness and energy by early bottling. The resulting wines are elegantly textural but incisive, clearly differentiated by site. This is also the best address to explore the village-level Chablis AOC, as Piuze produces a number of cuvées and lieu-dit bottlings designed to highlight the diversity that this large appellation encompasses. (WK)