2015 Le Montrachet

Only one new Damy pièce chosen with great care, and I taste from cask rather than from the cuves that the other wines are in. Éric calculates what volume he needs, fills the candidate casks with water and then tastes the water to make his decision. Not racked. Attractive combination of smokiness and richness on the nose. Broad, almost casually magnificent on the palate. Fabulous energy and vitality. Fully ripe yet with layers of tension and creamy texture and explosive ripe lime juice elements. The whole underpinned by something savoury and meaty – though nothing as simple as oak. Magnificent stuff.

(tiny berries here yielded just 27 hectoliters per hectare, according to Rémy): Bright, light yellow. Rich, ripe aromas of lemon, peach, butter and clove. Fat and rich but at the same time bright and dry, conveying a distinctly salty quality to the flavors of stone fruits and smoky minerality. Less silky and more powerful than the Chevalier-Montrachet, not to mention highly concentrated. Finishes very long, with strong soil tones.

(tiny berries here yielded just 27 hectoliters per hectare, according to Rémy): Bright, light yellow. Rich, ripe aromas of lemon, peach, butter and clove. Fat and rich but at the same time bright and dry, conveying a distinctly salty quality to the flavors of stone fruits and smoky minerality. Less silky and more powerful than the Chevalier-Montrachet, not to mention highly concentrated. Finishes very long, with strong soil tones. Sep 2016, www.vinous.com