2007 Domaine Francois et Antoine Jobard Meursault En La Barre

Another Jobard wine of its vintage that I tasted three weeks after bottling, his 2007 Meursault La Barre offers a far richer personality than the corresponding Tillets, as befits the contrast in elevation and chalkiness between the two sites. Lemon and grapefruit mingle with toasted grain in a lush, subtly silken-textured amalgam, with hints of mushroom, brine, and chalk. Pungent, piquant citrus zest and fruit pit help extend the finish here, but it is rounded and low-toned in comparison with that of the Tillets. I would opt for enjoying this over the next 3-4 years, the track record of many much older Jobard renditions of this terroir notwithstanding. Antoine Jobard’s avowed upholding of his father’s “classic style” – enhanced by late bottling but with exclusively passive lees contact – extends to his preference for 2007 over the obviously richer, lower-acid 2005 and 2006 vintages, and his analogy with 2004 “except finer, less vegetal, and straighter” is born out by parallel tasting. While these 2007s display the brightness of acids, strong mineral cast, and energy that are hallmarks of 2007, few white Burgundy collections of the vintage were as tight and restrained last summer as was Jobard’s. He began picking already on September 3 and finished in only a week, in large part to guard acidity, although his must weights were already ample, and the finished wines – certain of which were lightly chaptalized – typically in the upper 12s in percent alcohol. Importer: Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant, Berkeley, CA; tel. (510) 524-1524; also imported by Martine’s Wines, Novato, CA; tel. (415) 883-0400

(bottled in early May, from vines varying in age from 15 to 65 years) Pale, bright yellow. Menthol and oatmeal on the nose, with an orange element emerging with air. Rich, broad and quite dry, with good volume to the stone fruit flavors. A classically round style of Meursault.

Sweet, almondy nose – almond milk in fact. Richer than the Tillets and more flattering with greater palate weight. No compromises. (JR)