2007 Meursault Les Gruyaches
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Tasting notes
From a tiny vineyard wedged between Bourgogne Les Pellans and Meursault Charmes, and vines planted in 1923, the Fichet 2007 Meursault Les Gruyaches tells a tale of man and terroir. Most of Les Gruyaches was incorporated into Charmes more than a half century ago, but the drainage in this section was poor. Fichet made some improvements on the margins of the site to counteract that. Chalky and alkaline notes announce themselves here already in the nose, while fresh lime, white peach, celery root, toasted hazelnut, lightly caramelized parsnip, and milled grain make for a complex amalgam of quite disparate but not discordant elements. This finishes with a shimmering, mouth-shaking sense of mineral-fruit exchange that this vintage can bring, and with saliva-inducing penetration. Fichet opines that it needs 4-5 years to really harmonize, and based on my thus far limited experience with older bottles, I'd predict it will surely still give pleasure 6-8 years from now. Jean-Philippe Fichet's emphasis on retaining clarity and refreshment (via - inter alia - passive lees contact, high CO2 retention, and widespread use of demi-muids rater than barriques) positioned him to ideally avoid the pitfalls of 2006. But in 2007 his approach proved equally successful, resulting in wines that are in no way too lean, and that are for the most part youthfully expressive. -I'm only the orchestra's conductor.- comments Fichet. -Nature dictates the repertoire.- Nonetheless, he has shown a great talent for bringing out the best in each recent vintage.The Fichet 2007s - brought in almost entirely between the 10th and 14th of September - combine extract with energy and elegance, and he thinks they will continue to demand patience in bottle. Finished alcohols are mostly in the upper 12s, arrived at with, in Fichet's words, -very little- chaptalization. He encouraged long fermentations to enhance richness and complexity in his 2007s, although he says this meant walking a tightrope as regards volatility. For a few comments on how his earlier vintages are showing, see the conclusion of my note on this year's Meursault Tessons. The Rare Wine Company, Sonoma, CA; tel. (800) 999 4342
Critic scores
Average Score
David Schildknecht, Vinous
Julia Harding MW, jancisrobinson.com
More reviews and scores
Still pretty powerful but more nuanced than the straight Meursault. Tightly woven, pure citrus threads and subtle oak makes room for the fruit to shine. (JH)
(3 g/l r.s. remaining) Complex aromas of grapefruit, pineapple, stone and vanilla. Fat, dense and very ripe, conveying a creamy old-vines richness leavened by firm acidity. The pineapple fruit is complicated by floral and spice notes.
From a tiny vineyard wedged between Bourgogne Les Pellans and Meursault Charmes, and vines planted in 1923, the Fichet 2007 Meursault Les Gruyaches tells a tale of man and terroir. Most of Les Gruyaches was incorporated into Charmes more than a half century ago, but the drainage in this section was poor. Fichet made some improvements on the margins of the site to counteract that. Chalky and alkaline notes announce themselves here already in the nose, while fresh lime, white peach, celery root, toasted hazelnut, lightly caramelized parsnip, and milled grain make for a complex amalgam of quite disparate but not discordant elements. This finishes with a shimmering, mouth-shaking sense of mineral-fruit exchange that this vintage can bring, and with saliva-inducing penetration. Fichet opines that it needs 4-5 years to really harmonize, and based on my thus far limited experience with older bottles, I'd predict it will surely still give pleasure 6-8 years from now. Dec 2009, www.robertparker.com