2007 Meursault Genevrieres Cuvee des Pierres

Representing his oldest vines and highest elevation in this cru, raised in 2/3 new barrels for a year, then racked into older barrels for its last 5 months, Latour-Giraud’s 2007 Meursault Genevrieres Cuvee des Pierre mingles citric and saline with toasty, nutty, and vaguely caramelized notes from barrel. This boasts the density and sheer length of the “regular” Genevrieres, with greater richness of texture, but lacks quite that wine’s vivacity or succulence. Latour of course insists that the detached new wood will integrate and offers another taste of the 2006 as a demonstration. The latter does indeed show more luscious fruit and integrated appeal now than it had shortly before it was bottled. Jean-Pierre Latour is having none of the claim that 2007 and 2004 are similar. “2004 is about minerality, whereas 2007 is a lively vintage of fruit,” he insists, “but that didn’t become apparent until well along in the elevage. Because it was so cold over the winter,” he continues, “the wines precipitated a lot of tartaric acid, after which the malos came normally” (unlike in 2006 here) in early Spring. Latour reports healthy lees which he was happy to retain and stir to lend the wines textural richness. As a group, I found these more charming, refined, fun to drink, as well as nuanced than the 2006 collection, but white Burgundy lovers who in general preferred 2006 as a vintage should by all means check out Latour’s unusually broad, rich, and texturally pliable 2007s. Various importers, including Bayfield Importing, Long Island, NY (718)482 0200; Classic Wine Imports, Norwood, MA, tel. (781) 352 1100; and Stacole Fine Wines, Boca Raton, FL; tel. (561) 998 0029