2005 Batard Montrachet

Full straw color. Rich aromas of apricot, peach, hazelnut, marzipan and spices. Large-scaled, tactile and rich, with an almost honeyed quality to the ripe stone fruit flavors leavened by vibrant notes of mint and powdered stone. A Batard with superb richness of fruit and a rather suave texture. Finishes dense and long, and not at all austere. Only part of this cuvee is estate fruit.

Deep, smoky aromas of peach, nuts and menthol. Fat, rich and sweet, in an easygoing style. A big, broad wine with just enough acidity to avoid coming off as heavy. Deep mirabelle and spice notes carry through the fat finish. (Drouhin's powerful, tannic Montrachet Marquis de Laguiche had barely started its malo, and the very rich Corton-Charlemagne was in a dry, funky stage in the middle of its secondary fermentation.)