2014 Domaine Arnaud Ente Meursault

(aged in two-year-old foudres and a single new barrel, which Ente referred to as "insignificant"): Complex scents of lemon, orange oil, nutmeg and mace, plus a hint of leesy hazelnut; a real essence of fresh village Meursault. Wonderfully suave and alive on the palate, with peach and orange flavors given a piercing quality by an element of dusty stone. Finishes bracing and long, with lovely salinity. (Ente's 2014 Bourgogne Chardonnay, while not as squeaky-clean as the 2015 version, delivers a tactile texture and lovely energy and lift to its flavors of lemon, lime and toasted-bread leesiness. It's an exceptional Bourgogne Blanc.)

60% fruit from En l'Ormeau and 40% from Les Casse-Têtes. Sweet, spicy nose. Sap and savour and beautifully sculpted but without being excessive or skinny. Great stuff. Just the job and beautifully balanced and open already. Still quite a bit to chew on. (JR)

The Arnaud Ente 2014 Meursault Villages is excellent, opening in the glass with notes of tart green apple, lemon oil, lime zest and white flowers. On the palate, the wine is medium-full and elegantly glossy, built around a lovely line of ripe acids and finishing with unmistakably chalky grip. A Meursault that emphasizes intensity and precision over sheer scale. Ente's Meursault Villages derives from two lieux-dits: En l'Ormeau on the plain (which is also the source of Ente's Clos des Ambres and Seve du Clos bottlings) and Les Casse-Tetes on the hillsides, the vines having been planted in 1952-1953 and 1998, respectively. Jan 2018, www.robertparker.com