2012 Batard Montrachet

(13.3% alcohol; the only 2012 that was not chaptalized): Good bright yellow. Yellow fruits, clove and musky lees on the nose. Rich, round and fat if a bit youthfully aggressive, with a hint of salty minerality complicating the ripe yellow peach and spicy oak flavors. Nicely ripe and long but not yet particularly complex, this wine will require at least a few years of bottle aging. Thomas previously began with the same juice as brother Vincent, but since 2011 he has had rented an additional old-vines parcel of Batard, which he says routinely produces very ripe, millerande grapes.