2007 Le Montrachet

In barrel and recently racked when I tasted it the Prieur 2007 Montrachet offers an open, expressive personality in striking contrast with its sibling from Chevalier-Montrachet, which seems a bit spare and youthfully strident by comparison. Musk, lime zest, and peach on the nose lead to a palate of honeyed richness, alluring creaminess, and persistent juiciness. Pungent hints of citrus pip and peach kernel mingle with brine, honey, and hints of peat in a long, fascinating finish. Here, one doesn't even give a thought to the perfectly absorbed new wood, nor to the fact that this wine alone from the 2007 Prieur collection comes at all near to 14% alcohol. I expect this will retain its seductiveness and intrigue for at least a decade. Oenologist Nadine Gublin did not begin harvesting the Prieur Chardonnay until September 10, finishing a week later. The wines (with the exception of the Montrachet) all weighed-in between 13-13.5% alcohol and none were chaptalized. Malo-lactic fermentations were slow, the wines were inexpressive early, hence Gublin elected to bottle them 2-4 months later than usual (using a new bottling system). As a result, I have only tasted the best of them as assembled in tank. A comparison of the 2004s side-by-side was fascinating, and among other things bore out Gublin's assertion that -the big difference between 2004 and 2007 was the presence of over-ripeness and of enormous heterogeneity of ripeness- in the former. After the completion of renovations that were ongoing when I visited, the whites in a gravity-flow facility will be vinified entirely separately from the reds, and subject to sophisticated air purification and temperature controls of both tanks and cellar. New tractors and personnel will be on hand from 2010 to assist a transition to organic viticulture. In all these respects, the idealism and ambition exhibited at this estate are formidable. Importer: Frederick Wildman & Sons, New York, NY; tel. (212) 355-0700