2009 Meursault Genevrieres

The 2009 Meursault Genevrieres takes hold of the palate and never lets up. This is simply marvelous juice. Layers of ripe, expressive fruit emerge from the glass in this captivating, rich Meursault. A vein of minerality appears on the mid-palate, adding freshness and proportion through to the palate staining finish. This is a showstopper from Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey. Anticipated maturity: 2014+. Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey is one of Burgundy’s most exciting young producers. Colin-Morey works with six hectares of vineyards, three of which are estate owned, while the rest are sources of purchased fruit. According to Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey, the key to 2009 was picking early. The harvest started on the September 4. Colin-Morey did a long, slow press, with no batonnage once the wines were in barrel, all with the aim of preserving as much freshness as possible given the natural ripeness of the fruit. Roughly 80% of the wines were aged in 350-liter barrels, larger than the norm in Burgundy. Colin-Morey finished bottling the 2009s in April 2011. Colin-Morey told me he wasn’t enthused about the 2009s at first, but now thinks the wines have enough freshness to age well. A Daniel Johnnes Selection, imported by Michael Skurnik, Syosset, NY; tel. (516) 677-9300; also imported by Bertin Henri Selections, 10900 N.W. 21st Street, Unit 180, Doral, Florida 33172 tel: (305) 343-4054

Light nose that doesn’t express Genevrières to me yet. Just lightly reductive. Then it came out on the nose. Lovely palate entry – quite savoury and solid. Lots of weight. Much much better in terms of mouthfeel than the majority of Grands Crus. But it will need time to develop bouquet. Fantastic finish. (JR)

Sexy, fruit-driven aromas of white peach, mirabelle and orange. Dense, suave and vibrant, with lovely inner-mouth perfume and palate-dusting texture to the flavors of soft citrus fruits, menthol and crushed stone. Finishes very long, with a sappy impression of dry extract and noteworthy verve. (The Meursault Charmes was too reduced to rate today but displayed outstanding sweetness and volume.)