2009 Meursault, Perrieres, 1er Cru, Domaine Potinet-Ampeau, Burgundy

Domaine Potinet-Ampeau

Domaine Potinet-Ampeau is located in the village of Monthelie in the Côte de Beaune region of Burgundy. The domaine is currently run by Vincent Durrieu, who is the fourth generation to work on the estate.
 
The domaine has holdings of 21.5 acres across Puligny-Montrachet, Meursault, Auxey-Duresses, Volnay, Pommard and Monthelie, with several plots of Premier Cru, and these produce an equal amount of red and white wine. The grapes are harvested predominantly by hand, and all vinification takes place inside the domaine’s cellars.
 
Wines are matured in Allier oak barrels, with the percentage of new oak around 30% per year.

Chardonnay

Chardonnay is often seen as the king of white wine grapes and one of the most widely planted in the world It is suited to a wide variety of soils, though it excels in soils with a high limestone content as found in Champagne, Chablis, and the Côte D`Or.

Burgundy is Chardonnay's spiritual home and the best White Burgundies are dry, rich, honeyed wines with marvellous poise, elegance and balance. They are unquestionably the finest dry white wines in the world. Chardonnay plays a crucial role in the Champagne blend, providing structure and finesse, and is the sole grape in Blanc de Blancs.

It is quantitatively important in California and Australia, is widely planted in Chile and South Africa, and is the second most widely planted grape in New Zealand. In warm climates Chardonnay has a tendency to develop very high sugar levels during the final stages of ripening and this can occur at the expense of acidity. Late picking is a common problem and can result in blowsy and flabby wines that lack structure and definition.

Recently in the New World, we have seen a move towards more elegant, better- balanced and less oak-driven Chardonnays, and this is to be welcomed.