From barrel, the Prieur 2007 Chevalier-Montrachet is prominently citric, saline, and chalky for a young wine from this great site, with its orchard fruit aspects closely shadowed by the bitterness of fruit pits. Yet for all of its brightness, this is absolutely sumptuous in texture, with a creaminess and polish that somehow do not engender any sense of bifurcation, although the corseting of wood is quite obvious. This stains the palate with zesty citrus oil, pear skin, piquant nuttiness, chalk dust, and brine. Some of the sheer concentration on exhibit here probably traces to an April hail that took out half the crop. This formidable wine could do with a bit more charm and intrigue, which may well come, and it will certainly bear repeated visits - for any lucky and wealthy enough to afford them - over at least the next 6-8 years. 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

From barrel, the Prieur 2007 Chevalier-Montrachet is prominently citric, saline, and chalky for a young wine from this great site, with its orchard fruit aspects closely shadowed by the bitterness of fruit pits. Yet for all of its brightness, this is absolutely sumptuous in texture, with a creaminess and polish that somehow do not engender any sense of bifurcation, although the corseting of wood is quite obvious. This stains the palate with zesty citrus oil, pear skin, piquant nuttiness, chalk dust, and brine. Some of the sheer concentration on exhibit here probably traces to an April hail that took out half the crop. This formidable wine could do with a bit more charm and intrigue, which may well come, and it will certainly bear repeated visits - for any lucky and wealthy enough to afford them - over at least the next 6-8 years. 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