2017 Latour-Giraud Meursault 1er Cru Genevrières ‘Cuvée des Pierre’

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. Cuvée des Pierre is a special bottling from an exceptional plot of 50+ year old vines.

June, 2019

Allen Meadows

Burghound

92 points

Touches of matchstick character and the exotic add breadth to the cool and overtly spicy green fruit and citrus peel-scented aromas. There is more volume to the almost painfully intense middle weight flavors that possess excellent cut before terminating in a mineral-driven, bitter lemon-inflected and slightly warm finish that delivers fine length. The old vines are in evidence as this is a big and unusually powerful Genevrières.

September, 2018

Stephen Tanzer

Vinous Media

93-95 points

(Latour has three barrels of this juice, one new, one once-used and one twice-used): Pale, bright yellow. Very pure, minerally aromas of underripe pineapple, soft citrus fruits, white pepper, hazelnut, wild herbs and menthol. Thick, concentrated and very deep, conveying a powerful impression of solidity. The wine's pronounced soft citrus fruit sweetness is counterpointed by salty minerality. Most impressive today on the slowly mounting, savory finish, which boasts terrific building energy. This sappy, utterly seamless wine would be unctuous were it not for its 4.5 g/l acidity, the highest among these 2017s. Owing to the advanced age of these vines and to heat during the flowering, the yield here was just 20 hectoliters per hectare, according to Latour, who added that this wine "gives the real image of the vintage." I disagree, as there are very few 2017 premier crus at the quality level of this one.

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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.