2012 Domaine Boyer-Martenot Meursault Les Perrières 1er Cru

The 2012 Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrieres comes from a single parcel on the limit with Puligny, actually three conjoined sub-plots that constitute around 0.80-hectares. Vincent Boyer managed to capture the mineral core of Perrieres with potent scents of flint and limestone that are very well-delineated. The palate is very well-balanced with vivacious citrus fruit, orange zest and quince on the entry. There is a lovely crescendo in the mouth and a sense of confidence and harmony on the long, persistent finish. This is a top Perrieres and a step up from the 2011. Drink 2015-2035. It was my first time visiting this domaine and young winemaker Vincent Boyer. Their winery is situated in the lower reaches of the hilly Meursault village. Their set up is one whereby tourists are welcomed to visit the cellars and purchase bottles directly. That is often interpreted as a sign of more commercial wines for less discerning tourists, after all, you never see Aubert de Villaine beckoning visitors inside. Do not make that mistake here. I was impressed by both the estate’s enviable portfolio of holdings scattered over 10 hectares in Meursault, Puligny, Auxey-Duresses and Pommard, and Vincent’s assiduous approach to winemaking. If anything, his 2012 whites are so vibrant and surfeit with minerality that it exaggerated what I found lacking in the small number his reds, even if they are peripheral within Yves’ portfolio. The holdings were accumulated by Vincent’s ancestors on both his paternal and maternal lineages, hence the hyphenated name. It was the marriage of Andre Boyer to Juliette Deveze that linked Meursault with Puligny respectively. Then their son Yves was married to Marie Cecile Martenot in 1976. Between 1997 and 2007 the domaine has discretely acquired further holdings. Yves has a simple approach to winemaking. He uses new oak thoughtfully, so that it is embedded and frequently barely noticeable within his wines, thereby allowing the terroir to be articulated. He bottles relatively early. His 2012 whites had all been bottled when I tasted them in October, 2013, though Vincent expressed a desire to extend the barrel aging if space permits. Then again, judging by the performance of these wines, I am not totally convinced that is entirely necessary. Vincent Boyer’s premier crus are all matured in a judicious one-third new oak. The reds are not exported to the United States. Importer: Michael Skurnik, Peter Vezan.

Bright, pale yellow. Reticent nose hints at orange zest, white pepper and vanillin oak. Dense, broad and rich, but with a slight youthful bitterness to the flavors of orange and crushed stone. The most taut and strict 2012 to this point, with solid underlying minerality emerging on the end to give grip to the fruit. This will need at least a few years of bottle aging.