The Girardin 2007 Chassagne-Montrachet La Romanee – from nearly 60 year old vines, under contract – smells of smoke- and sea breeze-tinged fresh lime and red currant in a manner that puts me in mind of Ruwer Riesling. But this is all-Burgundy on the palate, with a silken texture, deep nuttiness, and a substantial sense of chalky underpinnings accompanying the energetic flow of citrus, put fruits, and berries. Here is another serious contender for up to a decade of interest. Vincent Girardin picked until past mid-September, with most of his top sites being brought in only from the 10th; allowed skin contact he would have avoided until recent years; and beat the lees on his young wines only until Christmas, but then bottled – with a light fining, and in many instances no filtration – only in May, 2009 to maximize passive time on the lees. The regimen of new wood here (now 20-30% depending on cru) represents a drastic diminution in just the past several years, and the 2007s strike me as far more comfortable in their skins than those of 2004-2006, benefiting also from the freshness and vivacity that characterize the vintage. He picked a week too late in 2006, opines Girardin with hindsight, but then, this was almost unavoidable in at least some instances for a vintner with such huge acreage. Girardin finds his 2007s especially marked by the typicity of each individual site, not only to a greater degree than in the two more obviously ripe preceding vintages, but also than in 2008. This is an aspect he is convinced will gradually be enhanced by a conversion to biodynamic methods that is underway. Girardin's 2007 musts were selectively chaptalized and finished wines here are largely in the vicinity of 13% alcohol. As usual, given the vast array of estate and negociant wines at this address (the latter status noted, where applicable, in my texts), I was not able to take time for tasting them all; in particular omitting the generics.Importer: Vineyard Brands, Birmingham, AL; tel. (205) 980-8802
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