2014 Chevalier Montrachet

An element of leesy reduction adds sex appeal to aromas of peach, gingery spices and crushed stone. Dense and thick on the palate; a real high-wire act of sweetness and acidity, conveying terrific depth and almost painful intensity. Orchard fruit and smoky mineral flavors are complicated by a suggestion of exotic fruits. Finishes salty, tactile and very long. These old vines yielded a moderate crop of about 40 hectoliters per hectare in 2014. The semi-retired Michel Colin now farms only 0.7 hectares of vines; his 2014s finished their malos in mid-March, later than son Bruno's wines, which are raised in the same cellar.

The 2014 Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru impresses in terms of purity on the nose, although after more than a decade, there remains a patina of oak that needs to be subsumed. Hints of fennel and freshly baked brioche join the citrus fruit with time. The palate is powerful with superb grip, just a little honeyed in texture. It delivers the complexity and mineralité you expect from this noble vineyard, and its persistence deserves applause.