CATCHING UP WITH CHABLIS GREAT, PATRICK PIUZE
For those of you not yet in the know about one of the most electric and talked-about producers not just in France, but the wine world over, let me briefly introduce you to the rock star of Chablis, Patrick Piuze.
A native of Montreal, Patrick followed his thirst for wine to the southern hemisphere in the mid-90s working harvests in Australia and South Africa. He returned home and ran a wine bar in Montreal, his passion further ignited, and palate saturated from tasting world-class wines from everywhere. He soon knew where he needed to be.
Patrick moved to Burgundy in 2000 and landed jobs in the cellars of Olivier Leflaive in Puligny-Montrachet, and Jean-Marc Brocard, the latter making what would become his ultimate obsession, and some of us would say his ultimate calling, the wines of Chablis.
Patrick spent eight years devouring everything about Chablis: the soils, the growers, the terroir within each commune, each region lending its own specific imprint, or accent on the finished wines.
He worked hand in hand with vineyard owners who were consistently bringing in the healthiest and most extraordinary fruit, learning all he could about his craft.
In 2008, the student officially became the master; Patrick created his own label and has very quickly become a name often uttered alongside Dauvissat and Raveneau, the paramount producers in Chablis. Patrick was, and still is, brilliantly fixated on terroir, and you soon discover his particular genius whenever you are lucky enough to sit and taste through a lineup of his wines from a single vintage.
We knew the second we tasted that first 2008 vintage with the achingly charming importer Aline Thiebaut (her first visit to our store by the way), we were getting in on the ground floor of a rocket that was about to take off. Our instincts and taste buds served us well; Aline has always made sure we are given an early shot at getting what, and as much Piuze Chablis as we wanted, within equitable reason of course.
But alas—and here is the bad news—just as Patrick’s star is blasting through the stratosphere, the demand for his perfectly chiseled, flinty and stony wines exploding with each release, a series of problematic to downright devastating vintages came literally hailing down upon Chablis. His yields fell to a fraction of his normal production in successive vintages.
Patrick has still been able to make profoundly beautiful wines, but sadly, there is even less to get our hands and palates on these days. But we assure you, much like the man himself, Patrick’s Chablis are powerful, compelling, charming, complex, a tiny bit nerdy, and unnervingly unpretentious considering how sought after they have become.
Patrick’s wines are remarkably forward, showing astoundingly generous fruit and gorgeous cut. Focused and walking with a true Chablis swagger, which is typical of the 2021s we’ve tasted from all over Burgundy, there are, however, woefully tiny amounts we were able to procure because of the small amount to be had, and with ever-growing global demand for Patrick’s thrilling wines, well let’s just say, we were lucky to take that very first tasting with then unknown importer, Aline Thiebaut, a meeting that would change so much, for all of us.
This has been a partnership that has ended up spreading the word and introducing all of you to not only Patrick Piuze’s inspiring wines but many, many others imported by Aline Wines, brought directly to us by the lovely Aline Thiebaut.
