The 2016 Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru, one of the smallest productions ever at a solitary barrel, has a tightly wound bouquet that is missing a little mineralité. The palate is well balanced with a fine line of acidity, hints of peach and dried apricot, quite conservative toward the finish with a touch of almond and a light sea spray influence. I would just like more complexity and personality here. I want it to sing of Chevalier-Montrachet!

The 2015 Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru has a crisp, well-defined bouquet with cold stone and flint-like aromas, albeit missing a little mineralité and penetration compared to several others tasted during my barrel tastings. The palate is well balanced with a pleasing saline opening complemented by white peach and fresh Conference pear notes, leading to a poised if not powerful finish. This is a decent white Burgundy if not a top-notch Chevalier-Montrachet.

The 2014 Chevalier Montrachet Grand Cru has a taut and linear bouquet with touches of granite and flint infusing the green apple and citrus fruit, very nicely focused, with the 50% new oak (one barrel!) nicely integrated. The palate is fresh and vibrant; there is good weight here with nicely integrated oak, and a slightly waxy texture with a long and sensual finish. This is an excellent Chevalier-Montrachet from Jacques Prieur.

The 2013 Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru was picked on October 3 from their tiny 0.15 hectare parcel of 60+-year-old vines parked in the top left-hand corner. There are just two barrels this year. It has a precise and delineated bouquet with superb minerality. The palate is tense on the entry, harmonious and poised and though not the deepest Chevalier '13 in the making, it does have a beguiling marine influence toward the finish. Classy.

The 2012 Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru comes from their small 0.14-hectare parcel at the top of the slope in the last rows of vines before it hits Montrachet. It has a restrained bouquet, very well defined with noticeable mineralite and tension. The palate is vibrant on the entry with lime cordial and hints of white peach. There is good weight here, although I would like to see more nervosite and stoniness developing on the finish. Several years ago, mere weeks after it was announced that I would be working for this very publication, I visited Domaine Jacques Prieur to taste their 2005s unaware that the authorities had erroneously issued a letter declaring that I was the official reviewer rather than Mr. Schildknecht. I guess they were just six years premature. Nevertheless, I have tracked the progress of this domaine owned by the Labruyere family, who also preside over Chateau Rouget in Pomerol and their original estate in Moulin-a-Vent. Edouard Labruyere was out in Asia when I visited on a cold Sunday morning, so it was oenologist Nadine Gublot who guided me through their portfolio that had been curtailed by the inclement weather. “It was not an easy growing season,” Nadine explained in her lovely thick German accent. “The weather was like 2013, not very bad, not very fine, sunny and rainy with a constant pressure of mildew at the beginning of the season and oidium towards the end. We had to work very hard in the vineyard to preserve the healthy conditions. It is a low yielding vintage because June was fresh and overcast so the flowering was very bad for both Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. On the positive side, as the weather was ‘comme ci comme ca’ the quantity of berries was small and the berries were spaced out, so it was like Mother Nature equaling everything out. Average yields came in at around 20 hectoliters per hectare; Volnay particularly affected by the bad flowering and hail at the end of June, so they produced only around 10 hectoliters per hectare. All the wines are still in barrels on the lees and not racked. Malo-lactic was very late, some just finishing one month ago (October) for the whites due to the cold weather and also because of cold natural temperatures in the cellar as I never warm it. (Consequently some of the whites are missing from this report.) There was no batonnage, which I stopped in 2008 because the grapes are naturally rich. The wines are a big surprise. At the beginning of the harvest, I never thought we would produce so bright wines, especially for the reds. We did not need any chaptalization. I am surprised by the fruit, texture, balance and freshness. I could never imagine during that summer that we would have produced such beautiful wines.” Reader will be aware that some of the usual cuvees are missing this year. Nadine had to make the difficult decision of blending severely affected vineyards together, especially in Volnay and Chambertin. “As the yield and crop were very low, we have a very small quantity in Champans and Clos des Santenots. Usually we have three premier crus. Volnay Santenots comes from the young vines of Clos des Santenots around 17 years old. We decided to make two Volnays in 2012 after vinifying and maturing them separately: Volnay 1er Cru that will be a blend of Champans and the young vines of Santenots and the Volnay 1er Santenots from Clos des Santenots plus a small part of the old vines in Santenots. In Chambertin we have four different parcels: two parcels of young vines of 17 years old and two parcels that are 50-years old that are vinified, matured and bottled separately. They form the Gevrey-Chambertin Premier Cru and Chambertin Grand Cru respectively. At the moment, I don’t know whether we will bottle a Chambertin Grand Cru.” Importer: Frederick Wildman & Sons, New York, NY; tel. (212) 355-0700 and through Berry Brothers & Rudd (UK)