2009 Monthelie

The 2009 Monthelie is fabulous. It is another expressive, open red that captures the essence of the year. Sweet red fruit, tar, rose petals and licorice are some of the nuances that flow from the glass. This isn’t a super complex wine, but it is absolutely delicious. A final burst of strawberries and minerals add further nuance on the finish. Coche opened a bottle of the 2000 for comparison. I was quite impressed with the wine’s ability to age, albeit while retaining a small-scaled personality. The 2009 Monthelie is an under the radar jewel of a wine. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2019. Raphael Coche-Dury is just past his 30th birthday, but he has already spent more than half his life working at the family’s illustrious domaine. It is quite evident Raphael Coche intends to follow his father footsteps, so the future seems to be in very capable hands. Coche describes 2010 as a cold vintage, but one with a lot of concentration because of the extensive coulure (shatter). Conditions in 2009 were pretty much the diametrical opposite. August was very warm, which caused challenges as sugars mounted quickly, but the fruit was healthy. Coche told me he wasn’t a huge fan of the vintage, but found the wines improved as they freshened up after the malos. Coche-Dury fans know the estate bottles three separate Meursaults at the villages level which are unfortunately not identified on the labels, which personally I find a bit frustrating. Qualitatively the three wines are quite similar, but their personalities are not. I have provided notes on all three of the 2010s and two of the 2009s, but readers will have to check with their suppliers to know for certain which wine they are buying. The 2009s should drink well relatively early and appear to have the stuffing to also age very well. The 2010s may very well prove to be nearly immortal. Let me just say I can’t wait to taste these wines in finished form from bottle. Importer: Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant, Berkeley, CA; tel. (510) 524-1524

Not very expressive on the nose. Slightly reduced but very very charming. All rondeur and plush pretty fruit. Salty and sleek. Less lifted than some of his reds but lots of early pleasure. Very fine tannins. (JR)

The 2009 Monthelie is fabulous. It is another expressive, open red that captures the essence of the year. Sweet red fruit, tar, rose petals and licorice are some of the nuances that flow from the glass. This isn’t a super complex wine, but it is absolutely delicious. A final burst of strawberries and minerals add further nuance on the finish. Coche opened a bottle of the 2000 for comparison. I was quite impressed with the wine’s ability to age, albeit while retaining a small-scaled personality. The 2009 Monthelie is an under the radar jewel of a wine. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2019. ||Raphael Coche-Dury is just past his 30th birthday, but he has already spent more than half his life working at the family’s illustrious domaine. It is quite evident Raphael Coche intends to follow his father footsteps, so the future seems to be in very capable hands. Coche describes 2010 as a cold vintage, but one with a lot of concentration because of the extensive coulure (shatter). Conditions in 2009 were pretty much the diametrical opposite. August was very warm, which caused challenges as sugars mounted quickly, but the fruit was healthy. Coche told me he wasn’t a huge fan of the vintage, but found the wines improved as they freshened up after the malos. Coche-Dury fans know the estate bottles three separate Meursaults at the villages level which are unfortunately not identified on the labels, which personally I find a bit frustrating. Qualitatively the three wines are quite similar, but their personalities are not. I have provided notes on all three of the 2010s and two of the 2009s, but readers will have to check with their suppliers to know for certain which wine they are buying. The 2009s should drink well relatively early and appear to have the stuffing to also age very well. The 2010s may very well prove to be nearly immortal. Let me just say I can’t wait to taste these wines in finished form from bottle. Wine Advocate.September, 2011