Javillier rued the fact that he has so little premier cru when he dipped into thieve the solitary one-year-old piece of his 2012 Meursault 1er Cru Les Charmes, which comes from his diminutive 0.06-hectare parcel. It lives up to its name with an understated but charming bouquet that is very well-defined with traces of peach and rosewater. The palate is very well-balanced with a rounded, smooth, mint-tinged entry, very nicely judged acidity and a gorgeous, svelte, citrus finish with touches of apricot and mango. Divine. Patrick Javillier purchased his small (0.17-hectare) parcel of vines in Corton-Charlemagne in 1999 within the lieu-dit of “Les Pougets.” He joked that he produces around 1,050 bottles: those 50 bottles being very important. Patrick Javillier was busy down in his Meursault winery when I called in at the property that was established by Raymond Javillier after the war, when he set about acquiring parcels of vine around the village. Yet the main focus of the business was in purchasing fruit from courtiers. Patrick himself vinified his first wine in 1974 after completing his winemaking diploma at the University of Burgundy and steadily built up a raft of long-term contracts, tending holdings through fermage agreements. Since 2008, his daughter Marion has looked after and vinified the red wines and it was clear that Patrick takes a great deal of pride in them. I have been following Javillier’s wines for a number of years now. Here is a man determined to transcend the limitations of possessing propitious terroirs, but few premier and grand cru vines. How does he overcome them? Well, simply by straightforward winemaking tenets: complete de-stemming for the reds, remaining faithful to his trusty old Vaslin press (which was recuperating in the corner after the vintage), skillful use of new oak and by assiduously blending small parcels whose final wine is often more than a sum of its parts. Patrick told me that he commenced picking on September 12 with potential alcohol levels coming in between 12.0 and 12.9 degrees. These wines often represent outstanding value and we commence with his two generic whites that offer outstanding value year after year. Importer: A Peter Vezan Selection (various importers), Paris; fax 01 33 1 42 55 42 93

There are again only one and a half barriques of Javillier’s 2007 Meursault Charmes, which smells of ripe peach, cherry distillate and honeysuckle; comes to the palate with an impressive sense of density, and a balance of creaminess and vivacity, its fruit accented by peach kernel, toasted almond, lemon zest, and chalk dust; and finishes with real grip, and chalky, alkaline minerality to accompany its succulent fruit. Here is a paradigm of vintage virtues as well as an especially engaging expression of its great site. I suspect it will be worth following for at least 6-8 years. Patrick Javillier began picking on September 3rd, but only finished (with his Savigny) mid-month. He chaptalized lightly, keeping all of the wines under 13%. He thinks his 2007 results capture “the spirit and purity of 1984, but with less acidity, and perhaps a bit that of 1979.” But the wines of Javillier were very different and far less exciting even a dozen years ago than they are today, so in that sense these comparisons are moot. (His favorites for drinking now, by the way, are his 1990s.) And I have never tasted a more impeccably balanced or consistently delicious and intriguing collection at this address than these 2007s. For some general notes on Javillier’s approach to vinification, consult my report in issue 180. A Peter Vezan Selection (various importers), Paris; fax 011 33 1 42 55 42 93