2011 Meursault Genevrieres

Tasted blind at the Burgundy 2011 horizontal tasting in Beaune. The Meursault 1er Cru les Genevrières 2011 is austere on the nose and, to be honest, it seems a little anodyne compared to its peers. The palate is crisp on the entry with bitter lemon and orange rind. There is moderate weight in the mouth, but like the first wine there is a slight volatile element that blurs the finish. After 15 minutes the wine improves, developing more spiciness and tension, although it still lacks that "je ne sais quoi."

Reticent aromas of tangerine, orange and flinty minerality; clearly affected by the bottling a month ago, as is usual for this elegant wine. Silky, suave and vibrant, with classically dry flavors of orange blossom and sexy vanillin oak. This very young, animated wine finishes with lovely length and verve.

Lafon's 2011 Meursault Genevrières is quite soft and open for this site. The characteristic intense mineral notes are there, but in 2011 the fruit is particularly generous and resonant, which tempers some of the typical Genevrières minerality. Site-specific signature emerge on the finish, but with a little more softness than is typical.