From contract fruit grown on a steep Hautes-Cotes slope in Nantoux behind Pommard and Monthelie, Fichet-s 2007 Bourgogne Aligote smells and tastes of tangerine, tinged with its crushed pips and white pepper, and finishes with tart but lip-smacking acidity and a suggestion of chalk. It-s a bit closed-in and responds to a shaking or, as Fichet recommends, decanting and will prove deliciously and invigoratingly versatile over the next 18-24 months. Jean-Philippe Fichet-s emphasis on retaining clarity and refreshment (via - inter alia - passive lees contact, high CO2 retention, and widespread use of demi-muids rater than barriques) positioned him to ideally avoid the pitfalls of 2006. But in 2007 his approach proved equally successful, resulting in wines that are in no way too lean, and that are for the most part youthfully expressive. -I'm only the orchestra-s conductor.- comments Fichet. -Nature dictates the repertoire.- Nonetheless, he has shown a great talent for bringing out the best in each recent vintage.The Fichet 2007s - brought in almost entirely between the 10th and 14th of September - combine extract with energy and elegance, and he thinks they will continue to demand patience in bottle. Finished alcohols are mostly in the upper 12s, arrived at with, in Fichet-s words, -very little- chaptalization. He encouraged long fermentations to enhance richness and complexity in his 2007s, although he says this meant walking a tightrope as regards volatility. For a few comments on how his earlier vintages are showing, see the conclusion of my note on this year's Meursault Tessons. The Rare Wine Company, Sonoma, CA; tel. (800) 999 4342