Meursault 2012 75cl

The 2012 Meursault (my sample taken from their parcel in Chaumes) has a relatively austere bouquet at first, withholding its charm and then teasing with granitic, cold stone scents. The palate is very well balanced with a fine line of acidity and then it fans out in languid fashion with the delicately spicy finish. This is sophisticated and refined. It is a measure of how busy I have been over the last few months that I forgot that I had tasted through Coche-Dury's 2012 at the domaine back in November! How can you forget tasting one of the finest exponents of white Burgundy? Luckily enough, I stumbled upon the notes nestling among reams of 2013. "It was a more difficult vintage than I can remember," remarked Raphael Coche at the time of my visit. "You had to be very vigilant. In 2013 we were more prepared but the 2012 came as a shock." Well, that did not seem to affect the wines that were quite simply astonishing. The two wines that rivet you to the spot at the Corton-Charlemagne, which is predictable, and the Meursault Genevrières, which might be less so. These were generally tensile, razor-sharp and deeply complex wines that will give pleasure to those lucky enough to receive allocations in the future. I was less taken with the reds in this vintage, except for what will be their final Pommard Village, their parcel having been part of an exchange for more Corton-Charlemagne. I cannot imagine there will be too many complaining about that.