2017 Latour-Giraud Meursault 1er Cru Genevrières

Latour-Giraud

France / Burgundy / Latour-Giraud

The vineyards of Genevrières total 16 hectares in the heart of the Meursault premiers crus, south of the village. The name of the appellation comes from the juniper trees that used to grow there. Domaine Latour-Giraud is the most important owner of this fabulous premier cru, with 2.5Ha. Along with Perrières, this would be considered by most to be Meursault’s top premier cru. The wines have exquisite structure. Round, deep and smooth, it also has great elegance, finesse and raciness.

June, 2019

Allen Meadows

Burghound

93 points

A softly wooded and slightly more elegant nose displays a subtle exoticism on the cool acacia blossom, lemon, Asian-style tea and white fruit aromas. There is a lovely sense of underlying tension to the more evidently mineral-driven flavors that don't possess the same richness or volume but are markedly finer on the highly persistent if ever-so-mildly warm bone dry finish. This isn't quite as fine as the Bouchères but offers slightly better overall depth and persistence.

September, 2018

Stephen Tanzer

Vinous Media

91-93 points

(the crop level was just 35 hectoliters per hectare owing to losses during the flowering): Bright, light yellow with a green tinge. Captivating aromas of lemon, lime and powdered stone, with riper peach and apricot scents emerging with air. In a gentle, distinctly creamy style and balanced from the start, already conveying sexy sweetness to its fruit-driven flavors of stone fruits and lime flower. Finishes very smooth and long. One feels the evidence of the late-August heat; today this wine seems lower in acidity than the Charmes but it's fat and ripe and should be a popular style. This fruit bomb should benefit from the firming effect of a second winter in barrel.

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About Latour-Giraud

It was a memorable tasting in Meursault in the European spring of 2018. Jean-Pierre Latour stood back and left the whites to press their irresistible case: aromatically enticing, seductive, resonant and mineral-inflected. Jean-Pierre's oldest known ancestor living from the vine was Jean Latour-Boillot, born about 1680, while the Giraud family were distillers in Meursault. The two domaines were united in 1958 with a marriage between the two families. These days production of the 10-hectare domaine is a little over 80% white, with the majority of vines across five premiers crus of Meursault: Les Genevrières, Les Charmes, Les Perrières, Les Bouchères and Le Poruzot. days production of the 10-hectare domaine is a little over 80% white, with the majority of vines across five premiers crus of Meursault: Les Genevrières, Les Charmes, Les Perrières, Les Bouchères and Le Poruzot.

About

Jean-Pierre Latour first got his hands dirty in the cellar back in 1983, then took the helm in '93. It’s really since the mid-2000s that he feels he’s nailed this style of white Burgundy - which he defines, justifiably, as “richness, purity and elegance, so that the wines finish fresh”. The whites are whole-bunch pressed, receiving a first racking at the end of August, when Jean-Pierre looks at the quality of lees to take forward. Bâtonnage is often part of the equation, but close observation of the vintage dictate frequency and duration. The wines are raised in oak for 11 to 12 months, with about 20% new oak for Bourgogne and village, and 25% for the premiers crus. Lovely reds from Pommard and Volnay are further evidence of Jean-Pierre’s sureness of touch.