1990 Meursault Les Perrieres

Bright yellow with a faint copper tinge. Very ripe but not especially extravagant on the nose, with aromas of yellow stone fruits, pineapple, nut oils and clove enlivened by a mineral element. A classic if rather powerful Perrières with strong fruit accompanied by penetrating minerality; wonderfully sweet but not at all cloying or heavy. "This wine shows that Perrières can carry ripeness," noted Lafon; certainly it's a textbook example of how mineral energy can stand in for low acidity. Finishes classically dry, animated and long, with a dusty, tactile quality and strong mineral spine. And the echoing back end showed a much lighter touch than my bottle of the '89. Perrières at grand cru quality, and particularly remarkable in light of the generous crop load. (13.5% alcohol; from a generous crop level of 54 hectoliters per hectare owing to big bunches and huge berries, according to Lafon, and very low in acidity)