The Prieur 2007 Meursault Clos de Mazeray (from a monopole) smells faintly smoky and nutty, as well as of lemon oil and barrel. Its creaminess is complimented by notes of lanolin and vanilla from cask, but these elements are not yet harmoniously integrated with the wine's fresh-fruited, citric brightness. Toasted nut and peach kernel lend bitterness to the finish that also appears to need a bit more time to assimilate, and gives me pause about estimating extended bottle evolution. The 2004 shows surprisingly creamy and rich today, by the way, as well as - predictably - refreshing and mineral-tinged.
Oenologist Nadine Gublin did not begin harvesting the Prieur Chardonnay until September 10, finishing a week later. The wines (with the exception of the Montrachet) all weighed-in between 13-13.5% alcohol and none were chaptalized. Malo-lactic fermentations were slow, the wines were inexpressive early, hence Gublin elected to bottle them 2-4 months later than usual (using a new bottling system). As a result, I have only tasted the best of them as assembled in tank. A comparison of the 2004s side-by-side was fascinating, and among other things bore out Gublin's assertion that -the big difference between 2004 and 2007 was the presence of over-ripeness and of enormous heterogeneity of ripeness- in the former. After the completion of renovations that were ongoing when I visited, the whites in a gravity-flow facility will be vinified entirely separately from the reds, and subject to sophisticated air purification and temperature controls of both tanks and cellar. New tractors and personnel will be on hand from 2010 to assist a transition to organic viticulture. In all these respects, the idealism and ambition exhibited at this estate are formidable.
Importer: Frederick Wildman & Sons, New York, NY; tel. (212) 355-0700
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