2007 Bourgogne Blanc Vieilles Vignes

Fichet's 2007 Bourgogne Vieilles Vignes - vinified in the same manner as his -regular- white Bourgogne - comes from Les Pellans, abutting Meursault Charmes. At one point, the belt of premier crus south of Meursault sheds its eastern buffer of village-rated acreage. As Les Pellans continues south, it achieves a Meursault village rating. A hint of lanolin and resin from barrel - which Fichet thinks will dissipate in a year or so - mingles with fresh lime, ginger, and honey in the nose and on a luscious, texturally refined palate, but this finishes with a surprising burst of energy and tactile pungency of citrus rind, ginger, and white pepper that puts me in mind of a Gruner Veltliner, and - when combined with the hint of barrel and a strong sense of chalkiness - turns the wine slightly austere. The -regular- cuvee is more appealing right now, but this wine has more than mere pretensions to seriousness. It ought to be re-tasted in the course of 2010 and might well justify several further years of cellaring. Jean-Philippe Fichet's emphasis on retaining clarity and refreshment (via - inter alia - passive lees contact, high CO2 retention, and widespread use of demi-muids rater than barriques) positioned him to ideally avoid the pitfalls of 2006. But in 2007 his approach proved equally successful, resulting in wines that are in no way too lean, and that are for the most part youthfully expressive. -I'm only the orchestra's conductor.- comments Fichet. -Nature dictates the repertoire.- Nonetheless, he has shown a great talent for bringing out the best in each recent vintage.The Fichet 2007s - brought in almost entirely between the 10th and 14th of September - combine extract with energy and elegance, and he thinks they will continue to demand patience in bottle. Finished alcohols are mostly in the upper 12s, arrived at with, in Fichet's words, -very little- chaptalization. He encouraged long fermentations to enhance richness and complexity in his 2007s, although he says this meant walking a tightrope as regards volatility. For a few comments on how his earlier vintages are showing, see the conclusion of my note on this year's Meursault Tessons. The Rare Wine Company, Sonoma, CA; tel. (800) 999 4342