Coming from the Piece Sous le Bois vineyard (a premier cru designation in red for which Matrot's grandfather, as the hamlet of Blagny's major landholder, successfully lobbied), the Matrot 2006 Meursault-Blagny smells of very ripe peaches, with an alkaline mineral note. Rich and creamy on the palate, with a hint of caramelization, yet also with persistent mineral suggestions, this finishes with faint grapefruit zest and peach kernel bitterness, and for all of its volume, only a hint of heat. The peachy, citric, almost aggressively pungent 2005 nicely combines richness and brightness.
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