1989 Maison Louis Latour Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru

Among Louis Latour's grands crus, the 1989 Batard-Montrachet is absolutely spectacular, a near perfect example of just how riveting Batard-Montrachet can be. Even though it is much more developed than the 1989 Corton-Charlemagne or 1989 Montrachet, it should last as long as either of them. The bouquet is bursting with flavors of oranges, smoky oak, toast, and butterscotch. In the mouth there is enormous richness, gobs of glycerin and extraction of flavor, and surprisingly high acidity in view of the wine's massiveness and extract levels. Drink this spectacular Batard-Montrachet over the next 10-15 years. This is an outstanding white burgundy by any standard of measurement. Don't miss it! Although unfairly maligned from time to time for his red wines, Louis Latour has always made some of the most explosively rich, long-lived white wines in Burgundy. That being said, I do not think I have ever tasted finer examples from Latour than the 1989 whites. Even the lower level wines, such as the Macon-Lugny and Macon-Chameroy, are loaded with fruit and have a luscious character, giving pleasure far beyond their reasonable prices. At the top level, the wines are huge, even massive examples of white burgundy that are phenomenally rich and intense. Various importers.