The 2009 Monthelie bursts from the glass with layers of dark fruit. It is an especially large-scaled, dense wine loaded with fruit. The elegance of the tannins and the wine’s overall balance are simply breathtaking. It is a dazzling effort. Dark cherries, hard candy and fabulous inner perfume frame the exquisite finish. This truly redefines what is possible within the appellation. Newman used 20% stems on the Monthelie. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2019. Domaine Newman is one of the more interesting stories I have come across in Burgundy. For several decades American proprietor Chris Newman lost full control of his family’s vineyards, including the crown jewel parcels in Bonnes-Mares and Mazis-Chambertin. A few years ago Newman reclaimed those vineyards and began focusing on organic farming and making high quality wines. It will take some time for the vineyards, especially the grand crus, to recover from several decades of industrial farming, but the wines I tasted from more recently purchased vineyards Newman has fully controlled for longer are very promising, including two spectacular Monthelies. Newman sold a parcel in Latricieres-Chambertin to buy his vineyard in Monthelie, which sounds crazy?until you taste the wines. Savvy readers will want to focus on the mid-level wines, which is where the real excitement lies, at least today.Importer: Michael Skurnik Wines, Syosset, NY; tel. (516) 677-9300