2012 Batard Montrachet

Deeply inviting with a gentle oaky note. Ripe citrus, herbs and spice. Tight and bright on the palate. Not a huge amount of weight but bags of persistence and lovely seam of freshness. (JH)

The 2012 Batard-Montrachet Grand Cru comes from the tiny 0.14-hectare parcel on the top of the slope towards Montrachet and it sees around 40% new oak. The vines are recent compared to others, planted in 1997. There are three barrels this year. For a Batard-Montrachet, it has a more expressive bouquet at this stage with vibrant green apple, orange zest and dried apricot scents that billow from the glass. The palate has good weight, smooth in texture with the creamy complementing the citrus lemon and orange rind notes, the mineralite appearing belatedly on the aftertaste. This is quite a regal Batard-Montrachet that should give pleasure over 15 to 20 years. I have long admired the wines of this Maranges-based producer who have a knack of producing taut, linear, mineral-driven wines that are as intellectual as they are pleasurable. This was my first trip south to small village of Dezize-les-Maranges where I met Marc and Alex Bachelet who escorted me over to a separate tasting room. The brothers established the domaine back in 2005 with the aid of their father and uncle after honing their craft overseas and today they farm 20-hectares of both their own vines and rented vineyards. The tenets here are quite simple: no herbicides in the vineyard with regular ploughing to aerate the soil; early picking to capture acidity, long pressing, small deboubagement, natural ferments and around 20 to 30% new oak. Maturation is in large 350-litre barrels in order to make fresher wines for keeping, and their policy is for less oxygen during elevage, eschewing batonnage. The wines usually age for one year in barrel and they are then racked into stainless steel on the lees for 8 months and bottled in April. Their Puligny-based wines take center stage: a thrilling set that really get to the heart of the terroir, razor sharp wines that walk in their kitten heels instead of boots. But do not overlook their Santenay Blanc or their fabulous Maranges La Fussiere that doubtless represents outstanding value. Importer: Vintage 59, Washington, DC; tel. (202) 966-9218. Also available from various merchants in the UK (BBR, Bibendum, Justerini& Brooks and Tanners.)

(this was most of the way through its malo): Bright, green-tinged yellow. Aromas of green apple, chlorophyll and spicy oak. Rich, broad and spicy; quite dry and classic. This tactile wine shows excellent verve but is hard to judge now with about 25% of its malic acidity remaining. (Incidentally, the 2012 Puligny-Montrachet Les Folatieres had too much unconverted malic acidity to assess with confidence.)