Notes of citrus oil, mint, white flowers and toasted nuts introduce the 2019 Meursault 1er Cru Les Poruzots, a medium to full-bodied, supple and charming wine with a lively core of ripe, demonstrative fruit and good grip on the finish.

The 2016 Meursault 1er Cru Les Poruzots was reduced by around 50% this year due to 80% of the lower stretches being hit by frost. It has a delightful bouquet in the making with very subtle, almost petrol-like scents that complement the citrus fruit and honeysuckle scents. The palate is well balanced with a smooth, slightly viscous opening counterbalanced by a fine thread of acidity, a prickle of spice toward an elegant vintage that seems to shrug off the trauma this vineyard suffered during the growing season. This is an excellent Poruzots that should end up at the top of my banded score.

The 2015 Meursault 1er Cru Les Poruzots offers traces of yellow flowers on the nose that marry nicely with the citrus fruit, smoked walnut emerging after time in the glass. The palate is well balanced with a lightly honeyed entry, commendable weight in the mouth, if not quite the zesty charm of the Limonsins on the finish.

The 2012 Meursault 1er Cru Les Poruzots is nicely defined on the nose and is already showing some fine minerality and delineation. The palate has a vibrant, chalky entry with a fine citric thread of acidity. This is well-balanced, charming with a touch of sherbet enlivening the finish that I hope will be there when bottled next year. Good potential. I have been visiting Francois Mikulski for a number of years. This is a reliable address for Meursault, although like numerous others his crops were depleted in 2012, resulting in the absence of some of this cuvees including some of his Meursault village crus that were blended together. Hail was also significant, reducing Volnay Santenots down to a negligible eight hectoliters per hectare. I tasted his wines from pre-blended bottles that were as close to the final blend as Francois could estimate. Importer: A Becky Wasserman Selection (various importers), Le Serbet; fax 011- 333-80-24-29-70

The 2011 Meursault 1er Cru Les Poruzots has a light, herbaceous bouquet with cooking apple, grass clippings and a touch of green asparagus. The palate has a herbaceous entry with crisp acidity, that grassy element coming through once again, with a touch of fresh green asparagus on the finish. Drink now-2017. It was a pleasure to return to one of my favorite Meursault growers, Francois Mikulski, a conscientious winemaker. His wines offer both broad commercial appeal and the complexity to satisfy aficionados. If I am being honest, I do not think Francois’ 2011s quite hit all the buttons, and occasionally displayed too much herbaceous character. However, they are keenly priced and from my own experience can mature deceptively well, though I think I would enjoy these wines in the flush of youth. Francois told me that he replaced his Gamay with Chardonnay, therefore 2012 will be the last vintage of the Bourgogne Passetoutgrain. Since 2008, Francois has made three barrels of Meix Chavaux, which is orientated east/northeast. No known American importer.