2002 Le Montrachet

“Not too shabby” was the turn of phrase used by the ever-understated Jasper Morris. To translate that from English to American: a superb Montrachet. It is noticeably light in color than the 2002 Perrieres, yet the nose is much more delineated and mineral-rich with a subtle marine-influence (freshly shucked oyster shells) that lend the aromatics intrigue. The palate is very well-balanced with outstanding minerality and precision. You barely notice the weight and presence in the mouth as it cruises to a sublime, orange-zest and hazelnut-tinged finish that lingers long. Not too shabby, in other words. Tasted September 2013.

(this aged in 100% new oak for the first year, until its first racking) Knockout nose offers apple, orange, minerals, iodine, menthol and spicy oak. Outrageously solid and penetrating, with gripping, sharply detailed flavors of bitter lemon, orange and minerals. Offers compelling class and intensity, but I would describe this more as unflagging than simply huge. Somehow, this seems every bit as broad and dense on the aftertaste as it is in the middle palate. And the wine shifts into an even higher gear with a late whiplash of flavor.

As impressively grand as the prior wines are, this is in another league. Exotic, pure and incredibly focused aromatically with an incredible breadth of aromas, from white flower to ripe orchard fruits nuanced by seemingly every spice imaginable. The unbelievably intense flavors are deep and strikingly powerful and it's hard to believe how a wine as big is this can be so detailed. The level of dry extract this enjoys is remarkable and it causes the flavors to be thick, dense and mouth coating with a finish that doesn't just end but rather its ends with one complex wave after another. There is a linear character on the finish that will take some time to round out but this is a potentially perfect wine. Allen Meadows-Burghound 01/07/04