2009 Le Montrachet

The 2009 Montrachet Grand Cru is now beginning to flex its muscles. It was an “easy vintage,” according to Véronique Drouhin, cropped at 20hl/ha from September 15. Appearance-wise, it is similar to the 2011. The bouquet is surprisingly tight at first but then opens its arms with just a few swirls of the glass, offering heady scents of honeysuckle and yellow flowers and a touch of crushed pebble underneath. The palate boasts impressive precision considering the warmth of the growing season. Wonderful penetration and drive are evident here. Grilled walnut and nutmeg emerge toward the finish. Just superb. Tasted at the Montrachet vertical in London.

The 2009 Montrachet Marquis de Laguiche was poured from a splendid magnum. It is a riot of tropical fruit on the nose with dried honey, passion fruit and yellow flowers and yet the overriding impression is one of a Montrachet that has more to give. The palate is quite rich, maybe ostentatious and hey, why can’t a Montrachet let its hair down once in a while? Beautifully balanced and perhaps translating the vagaries of the growing season rather than the terroir this is a delicious Montrachet that is going to give immense pleasure over the next decade or two. Tasted at the La Paulée in Beaune.