2011 Batard Montrachet

Jadot's 2011 Batard-Montrachet dazzles with its pure texture, richness and elegance. Tangerine, mint, flowers and honey are some of the many notes that wrap around the palate. Constantly changing in the glass, the 2011 impresses for its striking beauty, nuance and complexity, precisely all the qualities Grand Crus are supposed to deliver. Even with all of its beauty, the 2011 is closed and at times even austere, all of which bodes well for the future. Jadot's Batard emerges from three sites, all in Puligny.

The 2011 Batard-Montrachet Grand Cru has a very expressive bouquet with cold stone and lemon sherbet – a playful set of aromatics. The palate is well-balanced with fine delineation. It is tightly coiled toward the finish and just fades a little when you want it to step on the accelerator. Drink 2014-2025. This was the first time I had been back to Louis Jadot’s expansive winery on the northern outskirts of Beaune since their memorable 150th anniversary tasting back in 2008. As I quipped in the previous issue, Jacques Lardiere was then talking about his imminent retirement that seemed to never come. But on this occasion, there was new winemaker Frederic Barnier there to greet me. He has large shoes to fill but he seems up to the task of steering this important Burgundy name to a new chapter, having worked alongside Jacques for a couple of years. “At the beginning, we were not so confident about the whites,” he explained in reference to his 2011s, “but it has been a nice surprise. The dry spring of 2011 affected the level of ripeness but it has lent freshness, but with low acidity.” We did not have time to taste the entire portfolio of over 80 crus, but instead took a sample of 20 white and reds from both the 2010 and 2011 vintages. Importer: Kobrand, Purchase, NY; tel. (914) 253-7700