Le Montrachet

The 2013 Le Montrachet Grand Cru has a very reserved bouquet, a light marine influence coming through with aeration of shucked oyster shells and a smidgen of orange rind. The palate is fresh and crisp, compact, more austere than the two Chevaliers at the moment, with very laconic, tight-lipped finish compared to others that I have tasted. Let’s see...this is giving away zilch at the moment! 
Neal Martin - Wine Advocate - eRobertParker.com - Dec 2014

This is also everything it should be, and more. Floral to some extent, with magically intense fruit, which keeps growing on the nose. It has sublime concentration, huge density, lively and dancing, with strong shoulders, yet a perfectly formed waistline, and muscular energy throughout.

“To sum up: summer weather in spring, autumn weather in summer, and then back to summer in September.” Picking started on 12th September and continued for two weeks with respectable yields overall, but once again there was very little fruit in the Beaune vineyards such as Clos des Mouches. The Drouhin style is perfectly attuned to the character of 2014 reds, while this is definitely the best range we have ever seen of white wines here.

Not tasted at the time of going to press but judging by the quality of the rest of his wines this should be stupendous.

This cuvée comprises three barrels – one new – made from purchased grapes from vines in the Puligny half of Le Montrachet. The nose is refined and noble, with brilliant purity, echoed on the palate which is a masterclass in graceful power. The haunting, smoky finish lingers long after the wine itself has departed. Drink 2026-2037.

After studying at business school, Olivier Leflaive headed to Paris to live a rather bohemian life during the 1970s, working in music and television. He returned to Burgundy in 1981 to manage Domaine Leflaive with his uncle Vincent and later his cousin Anne-Claude. Having long aspired to work for himself, he set up his own négociant business in 1984 and, upon leaving the family domaine a decade later, he gave 15 years’ notice that he would take back his share of the family vines from 2009. Experienced winemaker Franck Grux now makes between 85 and 90 different cuvées, vinifying the equivalent of 120 hectares, of which 17 are estate. The focus here is on elegance and finesse over power

Franck emphasised the importance of removing excess shoots and buds on the vine early in the season to ensure yields did not become excessive, a practice he encouraged his growers to follow. The results are evident in the wines, which display wonderful concentration and texture, generosity in the mid-palate, precise, direct fruit and a sapid acidity. The excellent natural balance of the wines made vinification relatively straightforward and has yielded wines which Franck describes as “serious” and, in many respects, comparable to the 2014s. Unless otherwise stated, all wines are domaine.

The 2014 Montrachet Grand Cru has a gorgeous bouquet: very complex with scents of dried quince, citrus lemon, almond and minerals -- all set off with a very subtle reduction, à la Porusots 2014. The palate is very well balanced as you would expect, but it's the purity here that really makes the Montrachet, building in the glass to what is quite a feisty, bravura of a finish. There is a completeness and bewitching sense of harmony here, and though you feel duty-bound to analyze and intellectualize over this Montrachet, the devil inside is urging you to just drink it and enjoy its untrammeled deliciousness.
Neal Martin, The Wine Advocate. 31st Decemeber 2015. 

From old vines of fine quality, in what may be St Aubin’s best vineyard, this is gorgeous. After a discreet nose, the palate is full of yellow plums, white peaches and some lemon notes with excellent density.

The progress we noted with the 2013 vintage here has been further developed with an excellent range of 2014 wines. Extra details apparent this year are the enhanced use of lees after racking and the minimal use of sulphur without risking oxidation. The Château de Puligny rises a further few notches up the ladder. Étienne de Montille notes that, in 2014, “there was super clean fruit and we could pick at leisure”.

Though Maison Louis Jadot dont own the vines from the Chassagne side of the vineyard, they certainly know what to do with the grapes. Wave after wave of fruit bursts across the palate and there is majesty throughout, especially in the aftertaste.
Jasper Morris MW, Burgundy Director

The old order changeth slowly at Maison Louis Jadot. Veteran winemaker Jacques Lardire is still very much in charge, but his eventual successor Frdric is starting to play a more prominent role. Dont expect a revolution, but a little evolution is doubtless possible. The acidity of 2010 very much suits the Jadot white wine style, while their fullish extraction of Pinot Noir has worked notably well in several red cuves such as the Volnay, Clos de la Barre which we have selected for the first time this year. Where the wines come from one of the various Jadot domaines we supply the relevant information in brackets.

The fortunate Marquis de Laguiche has the biggest holding by far of Le Montrachet with just about 2 hectares. The wine is exceptionally backward at the moment as should perhaps be the case with a wine of this magnitude half way through its lvage but it has a massive presence and a powerfully thick texture which indicate its future quality. Drink 2015-2025+.

Through their contract with Marquis de Laguiche, Drouhin manages an astonishing 2.1 hectares of Montrachet (out of eight hectares), which means they have a mind-boggling 28 barrels this year. As usual at this level, words fail: the dial is on 11 for richness, intensity and voluptuous freshness. Drink 2030-2050.

An extensive tasting with Jérôme, who has been at Drouhin 14 years, gave a very useful insight into the style and developments here. In particular, the reds are moving towards a riper, more succulent style, driven by a high level of grape sorting, including an optical sorter, and the ambition to use 25 to 30 percent wholebunch, or more if the vat needs filling. The wines go to barrel turbid and are not racked until the end of their time in bottle. They are also harvesting later. The Clos des Mouches was not harvested until 20th September, long after their neighbours.