2012 Meursault Les Perrieres

(just 22 hectoliters per hectare were produced, according to Dancer): Compelling sweetness and lift to the aromas of lemon, orange, peach and crushed stone, plus a whiff of hazelnut. Boasts outstanding tactile concentration and suavity, with fine-grained flavors of orange zest, pineapple and minerals carrying through on the building whiplash of a finish. Just a hint of exotic fruits to indicate the vintage. "The year was saved by lousy July and August weather, which had the effect of extending the ripening period," noted Dancer. A stunningly complex premier cru--but then much of this vineyard merits grand cru status.

The 2012 Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrieres comes from a 0.29-hectare parcel of vines. It has a perfumed, subtle bouquet with precise walnut, limestone and smoke aromas that unfurl from the glass. The palate is well-balanced with a fine line of acidity, reticent at first but with aeration it reveals fine mineralite, a slight flintiness on the edgy finish, if not quite the persistency of a top Les Perrieres. Still, this is a succinctly crafted Meursault that should age well. Drink 2015-2028. Vincent Dancer took over his father’s domaine in 1996. Up until then the holdings at been en fermage, though it was not until 2003 that Vincent was able to bottle his debut vintage. This was my first visit to the domaine, which has a strong following in the UK and Europe. Unfortunately there is no distributor in the United States at the moment, though hopefully that will change in the future, so long as there are more generous growing seasons than 2012 and 2013. Vincent is thoughtful young winemaker who practices a very straightforward, rudimentary winemaking. “Compared to 2011 we were 50% down,” he informed me as we descended into his cellars, his faithful hound keeping guard outside. “We lost 30% during the flowering season and there are just 35 barrels for the 2012 vintage. We started the harvest September 15. For the whites, I do a normal pressing in a pneumatic press and an old Vaslin press. I don’t add any sulfur and then after the pressing, I transfer the juice into barrel for a minimum of 12 months, though the last three vintages were in barrel for 16 to 17 months, the final five or six months in tank before bottling. There was a tiny bit more new oak in 2012 due to the small quantities, but usually it is around 25% for the premier crus. The 2012 is the first vintage that will bear ‘organic’ on the label.” The samples were taken from tank off the lees and they will have a little sulfur before bottling. The reds had just been dosed up with sulfur so I did not taste them, although the focus here is definitely upon the whites. These are well worth looking out for. Dancer’s wines demonstrated good weight in the mouth, often a little creamier in texture than its peers, but with requisite acidity to maintain tautness and linearity. Importer: Coeur Wine Co., 419 Lafayette St., 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10003; tel: 347-762-1258; www.coeurwineco.com