patrick piuze terroir de courgis 2022

piuze harvested the 2022 chablis terroir de courgis in two picks this year, in pursuit of optimal maturity, and the wine has turned out very nicely, offering up aromas of pear, white flowers, waxy citrus rind and oyster shell reduction, followed by a medium to full-bodied, satiny and layered palate that's framed by chalky dry extract. as ever, it's the most structured of the communal-level bottlings and will reward a bit of time. 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.