2007 Monthelie Les Duresses

Lightly-cooked blackberry and strawberry are mingled with black tea on the nose and palate of Lafon’s 2007 Monthelie Les Duresses. Dark, woodsy notes increasingly dominate as one approaches the finish, whose tannic intensity comes as a surprise given the essential tenderness and delicacy of the wine’s fruit. I would plan to enjoy this soon, mindful of the need for a context that will not exacerbate its tannic astringency. Dominique Lafon’s vineyards were hit hard by the July, 2008 hail, with his largest site – Santenots du Milieu – worst hit, and reduced in production by two-thirds, all of which he bottled together, rather than (as more usually) declassifying the young vines portion to village Volnay. Crop loss was due to dehydration as well, a factor compounded by late harvest. (“But before October,” relates Lafon, “the fruit simply was not ripe.”) Lafon’s chagrin – coming on the heels of two challenging vintages for Pinot – was more than assuaged, though, by the superb quality of his Meursaults in both 2007 and 2008 (on which I shall report soon in these pages). A Becky Wasserman Selection, Le Serbet (various importers), fax 011-33-3-80-24-29-70; A Daniel Johnnes Selection imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Syosset, NY, tel. (516) 677 9300; Classic Wine Imports, Norwood, MA, tel. (781) 352 1100; Beaune Imports, Berkeley, CA, tel. (510) 559 1040

Good medium red. Wild, sweet aromas of black cherry and licorice accented by minerals and blood orange. The palate offers good density and sap, conveying the character of a ripe year. Finishes with firm but fine tannins.

Young vines. Sweet, spicy fruit and relatively firm tannins, notably spiced on the finish. (JH)