2002 Meursault Les Charmes

Very pale straw. Good blend of maturity and refreshment on the nose. Hint of wet stones. Super charming and with extra weight. Crystalline yet fresh. Tight and liquorice. (JR)

(tasted from barrel; includes the estate's younger Charmes vines for the first time) Pungent, thoroughly ripe aromas of soft citrus fruits and spices. Fat, sweet and large-scaled; this has real dimension. Highly complex and very rich flavors of orange, minerals, hazelnut and spices. Wonderfully aromatic and showy in the mouth, but also built to age. Finishes very fat and very long. This may be bottled without a fining. Thibodaux says the addition of the younger vines has brought freshness and cut, leavening the "corpulence and massiveness" of the juice from the older vines.

Lafon’s 2002 Meursault Charmes is exceptional. Its awesome aromatics display spiced oak, peach, apricot, and yellow plum scents. Medium to full-bodied, decadent, and expansive, this intense, decadent wine bursts on the palate with silky, powerful waves of spices and yellow fruits. Even though it has massive richness and a broad-shouldered, muscular character, this beauty also displays graceful elegance. Projected maturity: now-2013. Importers: Various including Classic Wine Imports, Boston, MA; tel. (617) 731-6644, and Beaune Imports.