1992 Le Montrachet

There are 100 cases of the 1992 Le Montrachet. It will rival the great 1992 Le Montrachets produced by Domaine Leflaive, Amiot-Bonfils, and Ramonet. It possesses fabulous richness and a huge, massive feel. Impeccably well-balanced, with a sense of elegance and precision, this wine must be tasted to be believed. Given the wine's size and profound concentration, it will need 5-10 years of cellaring. It has the potential to last for 25-30 years. Lafon rarely filters his wines. All of his 1992s are ripe, rich, precocious wines that will not have the aging potential of the superb 1989s, and excellent 1990s. Lafon, who sells only ten percent of his production to the United States, believes his 1992s are similar to the 1982s (probably the best wines of the vintage), but with more intensity and purity. The 1992s are still in cask, hence the estimated ratings. Importer: A Peter Vezan Selection, various importers, including Classic Wine Imports, Boston, MA.

After an hour or so of air, hints of botrytis frame knockout aromas of white flowers, peaches and green apples followed by penetrating, powerful, almost painfully intense flavors of limestone and citrus all nicely highlighted by the pronounced minerality and subtle acid backbone. Extremely pure, very fine and muscular with stunning complexity and a finish that goes on forever. Reference standard Montrachet, rivaled only by the Ramonet in '92 and still on the way up, which is a scary concept! A brilliant wine. Note: two other recent bottles, including one brought directly from the domaine displayed much more advanced aromas and a lack of focus, scoring more in the 92 to perhaps 93 point range and drinking perfectly now. Why the difference between these two and the bottle reviewed above, I cannot explain. To add to this, yet another bottle of solid but not sensational quality adds to my view that this may now be declining, even if gracefully. Allen Meadows- Burghound 14/07/08