Representing three barrels from their oldest vines, Latour-Giraud's 2006 Meursault Genevrieres Cuvee des Pierres mingles bright fresh lemon, brown spices, lanolin and vanilla from barrel, and nut oils in the nose. Rich and creamy on the palate, with strong toasted nut character segueing into toasty oak - though by no means lacking in the sort of diverse mineral shadings that caught one's attention in the -regular- bottling - this formidably concentrated Meursault finishes with a rush of citrus, nuts, and stones that generates just a hint of heat. Jean-Pierre Latour was one of those growers who got a jump on the 2006 ban de vendange in an effort to preserve freshness and clarity of fruit (although on that score, he professes to prefer his 2005s). The 2006 collection was slow to ferment and to undergo malo-lactic transformation; and from tank immediately before bottling, many wines struck me as somewhat disjointed and/or awkwardly marked by milk and new wood. Various importers, including Bayfield Importing, Long Island, NY (718)482 0200; Classic Wine Imports, Norwood, MA, tel. (781) 352 1100; and Stacole Fine Wines, Boca Raton, FL; tel. (561) 998 0029

Representing three barrels from their oldest vines, Latour-Giraud's 2006 Meursault Genevrieres Cuvee des Pierres mingles bright fresh lemon, brown spices, lanolin and vanilla from barrel, and nut oils in the nose. Rich and creamy on the palate, with strong toasted nut character segueing into toasty oak - though by no means lacking in the sort of diverse mineral shadings that caught one's attention in the -regular- bottling - this formidably concentrated Meursault finishes with a rush of citrus, nuts, and stones that generates just a hint of heat.Jean-Pierre Latour was one of those growers who got a jump on the 2006 ban de vendange in an effort to preserve freshness and clarity of fruit (although on that score, he professes to prefer his 2005s). The 2006 collection was slow to ferment and to undergo malo-lactic transformation; and from tank immediately before bottling, many wines struck me as somewhat disjointed and/or awkwardly marked by milk and new wood.Various importers, including Bayfield Importing, Long Island, NY (718)482 0200; Classic Wine Imports, Norwood, MA, tel. (781) 352 1100; and Stacole Fine Wines, Boca Raton, FL; tel. (561) 998 0029