2011 Meursault Les Perrieres

The 2011 Meursault Les Perrières 1er Cru from Domaine Ballot-Millot exceeded expectations. Unanimously voted the best of the four whites served blind, it has a stunning bouquet that sports a subtle but effective reduction: limoncello mixed with chai underlaid with fabulous mineralité. I confess that I guessed it might have been made by the hand of Jean-François Coche. The palate is medium-bodied, saline and taut with a judicious bitter edge lending great tension and Perrières typicity on the finish. This domaine immediately went up in my estimation.