2003 Bienvenues Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru

Pernot described 2004 as "a very good vintage, with a crop that was too large but balanced and very classic." As is usually the case by late spring, the new wines had been racked and sulfited and were on the finings. Pernot noted that grape sugars here were even higher in 2004 than in 2003. (Louis/Dressner Selections, New York, NY; Robert Chadderdon Selections, New York, NY; also brought into the U.S. as a Peter Vezan Selection and through Domaines et Saveurs/Jeanne-Marie de Champs)

Pernot started picking on August 21 (he typically harvests early for better acidity), and during this very hot period he harvested only during the morning hours. Grape sugars were in the 12. 5% to 13% range, according to Pernot, who told me he chaptalized very little, especially for his crus. He also did less lees stirring than usual, stopping in early November, as he did not want to lose the gas that was protecting the wine. He describes the young 2003s as atypical wines, a bit like the '76s. The 1976 harvest was also very early, he said, but he didn't begin that year until September 1-further evidence of just how extreme the summer of 2003 was. We don't have the primary aromas of chardonnay in 2003 due to the extreme heat," he summarized. Pernot told me that most of his 2003 cuvees include a small percentage of second generation grapes, although he pointed out that growers in Meursault were generally more likely to have had the possibility of including these grapes, as Meursault has more old, degenerating vines that are more likely to produce second generation grapes than Puligny-Montrachet. (Louis/Dressner Selections, New York NY Robert Chadderdon Selections, New York NY also brought into the U. S. as a Peter Vezan Selection and through Domaines et Saveurs/Jeanne-Marie de Champs)