2003 Puligny-Montrachet Les Pucelles 1er Cru

"I've never seen as much malic acidity as in 2004," said Henri Boillot, who chose not to buy a couple of his regular negociant cuvees because he was unhappy with the quality of the lees. Some of the malos were finished but other wines still had a good bit of their malic acidity. A number of Boillot's 2003s have turned out very well. Like a number of his colleagues on the Cote de Beaune, Boillot recommends serving these wines at cooler-than-normal temperature to mask their fat and alcohol. (Robert Kacher Selections, Washington, D.C.)

Henri Boillot bought virtually no new oak for the 2003 vintage, opting instead to use one-year-old barrels. Boillot acidified lightly but did not block any of the malolactic fermentations. Due to the low acidity of the year, he did not stir the lees. The wines were already very rich and did not need further fattening," he told me. Like his colleague Vincent Girardin, whose new winemaking facility is literally next door on the outskirts of Meursault, Boillot believes that vintage 2003 favored the vines of Puligny-Montrachet, while vintage 2002 was best for Meursault. Boillot began our tasting by showing me samples from Auxey-Duresses and Saint-Romain, both of which will be blended into what should be a very strong bourgogne blanc. (Robert Kacher Selections, Washington D. C. )