2012 Domaine Boyer-Martenot Meursault Les Genevrières 1er Cru

2012 Meursault 1er Cru Les Genevrieres comes from a single parcel of 65-year-old vines abutting Les Charmes-Dessus. There are hints of spice and white chocolate on the vibrant bouquet with orange blossom and grapefruit scents emerging later. The palate is well-balanced with good weight in the mouth, although it does not quite deliver the same tension and persistency as the Les Charmes. Fine, albeit just a little contained. Drink now-2025. 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 yellow. Complex nose melds lemon, lime, orange, white pepper and smoky minerality, further complicated by a leesy element. Fat, sweet and a bit youthfully aggressive; bigger and more exotic than the Charmes. The flavors of apricot and peach are complemented by a nutty quality. I find the Charmes suaver today, in spite of its remaining residual sugar.