While most of the Matrot wines see no new wood, his 2006 Meursault Chevalieres represents one of three annual exceptions. -I have big problems with Chevalieres,- claims Matrot. -It is a grand Meursault, but it's a grand vine de garde, and all about minerals, which doesn't suit the American market.- So, he gives this wine 30% new wood and sells it all in the U.S. Surprisingly, the Bourgogne here also sees new wood - 25% - for the stated reason that -terroir is not so important when it comes to Bourgogne.- Vanilla and ripe, incipiently caramelized peach inform a heady nose and a broad, unctuously rich palate, yet a sense of chalky minerality and of juicy grapefruit come through in the finish alleviating any tendency toward heaviness and mitigating heat. I serious doubt, though, that this can really be an example of the age-worthiness to which Matrot alluded.
The Domaine Matrot officially consists of three estates of unequal size, each assigned its own appellations, vinified in separate cellars. But there is a common direction, and the labels differ only in their small print. Thierry Matrot did not begin picking until September 25, as late as any vigneron I encountered, and furthermore worked backwards by the standards of most Burgundy vintners: starting with Bourgogne, he finished (in early October) with his top crus. Matrot acknowledged the rapid evolution of the fruit, but arguing that -the acids concentrated along with the potential alcohol, so the wines are in equilibrium.- That claim must count as controversial - some of these wines betrayed bitterness or heat, and all are weighty and exotic - but on the whole, these outsized wines make a plausible case for their distinct identities. That said, one caveat: I would be inclined to enjoy all of these wines young, even the best of them within 3-4 years.
Importers: Vineyard Brands, Birmingham, AL; tel. (205) 980-8802 and Diageo Chateau and Estate Wines Company, New York, NY; tel. (212) 419-1400
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