A Piece of Puligny: the small production, lovely wines of Anne Bavard-Brooks
Taken from: https://www.domaineannebavardbrooks.com/
We no doubt harness a few of the world’s most iconic producers at Old World, but we pride ourselves in the unearthing the gems that might otherwise stay hidden from view. We treasure the tiny, the unsung. Those who toil away quietly creating beauty. One such producer is Anne Bavard-Brooks in Puligny Montrachet.
Anne took over from her parents and along her husband John. Since 2005, they began to farm organically with biodynamic inputs on their 3 little parcels in Puligny (and just outside), and then in 2012 became certified organic.
Burgundy has never been a region known for its great yields and mass volume. It’s partly why we love it… it’s partly why it breaks our hearts (and banks). Its moderate continental climate and the consequences climate change has had on this vulnerable region in the way of excessive heat, hail, frost, and rain only make these vintages that much more… less.
But there is "Burgundy small"… and then there’s Anne Bavard-Brooks.
She works off of 3.5 hectares total with a production that rarely goes above 500 cases. The lion’s share of her fruit comes from two tiny parcels outside the village of Puligny: La Combe and Les Equinces. Together, these are a mere 2.9 hectares planted in 1983 produce a touch over 350 cases of wine (at least in 2018, which we have). La Combe can be found just east of the village of Puligny, below the appellation’s more prominent lieux dits 'Les Houillères’. Further east, about 500 meters, is Les Equinces. Anne Bavard-Brooks has benefited from the recent INAO regulation in 2017 which gives more pedigreed land in the Cote d’Or distinction from just any old fruit grown throughout Burgundy in general. In this way, it’s a cut above ‘Bourgogne’ and just below ‘village.’ She therefore combines La Combe and Les Equinces into her Bourgogne Côte d’Or offering.
The 2018 Bourgogne Côte d’Or was fermented and raised 5 months in wood (20% new French) and another 5 months in stainless steel before it was fined, filtered, and bottled. An outstanding value, really - drinking far above its weight. Anne details a note of "almond with a fresh, mineral finish."
Her more recent acquisition of Corvée des Vignes in Puligny is a whopping 0.19 hectare from which she made about 50 cases in 2018. She fermented and raised the wine for 9 months in 4 year old French oak, finishing in stainless steel. Though not a ‘1er cru’, Corvée des Vignes is an aspirational lieux dits planted in 1954 on the northern end of Puligny bordering Meursault (just to the southeast of Meursault Charmes). Only a handful of respected neighbors lay claim to this site as well (Vinvent Dureuil-Janthial, for instance). Anne describes this wine as,"Full-bodied and generous, this typical 2018 shows nuances of dried fruit against a lightly vanilla background and a pleasing mouth feel."
We have the following to offer. We hope for arrival late next week for shipping the following:
2018 Bourgogne Côte d’Or
2018 Puligny-Montrachet Corvée des Vignes