2013 Meursault Les Charmes

The 2013 Meursault 1er Cru Charmes did not show well just after bottling but a few months later it replicates its impressive performance that I observed in barrel. It has just the right amount of reduction on the nose, very Coche-Dury in style, as one of my fellow tasters noted with a touch of egg shell/albumen. The palate is very well balanced with a keen line of acidity, that reduction maybe a little obvious but clinically executed. One could argue it expresses more the winemaking approach than the terroir, but maybe that is a moot point when it tastes this good. Tasted at a private dinner at La Trompette.

Tasted blind at the annual “Burgfest” tasting in Bouilland. The 2013 Meursault 1er Cru Les Charmes was perplexing. It had a rather unclean nose, smoke and walnut, but missing some of the clarity of its peers. The palate is slightly bitter on the entry, but it seems to get its act together for the second half, suddenly delivering more focus and tension on the citrus-driven finish. This was difficult to fathom out after such an impressive showing in barrel. I am not quite sure what is happening here so I will seek to re-taste. Tasted May 2016.

(on its finings): Lemon-yellow color. Ripe peach, hazelnut and vanillin oak on the classic Meursault nose. Boasts a terrific combination of refined texture and outstanding inner-palate tension, showing the flavor intensity and verve to support a long and graceful evolution in bottle. Finishes with outstanding lemon-zest cut and length. My style of Meursault, and downright electric in the context of the year.