1997 Pommard Les Pezerolles 1er Cru

Hubert de Montille is loath to chaptalize, and bottled wines from this domain are often in the relatively low 12% to 12.5% range. As a result, these Burgundies rarely stand out in early tastings but have a track record for long, graceful evolution in bottle. This estate especially benefitted from the thorough ripeness of the fruit in '96 and '97. There was no chaptalization in '96, '97 or '98, said Madame de Montille, and the fruit was so ripe in '97 that a bit of acidification was needed at the outset in a few cuvees These '97s, a few of which are from fruit with potential alcohol approaching 13%, will offer early accessibility, while the more powerful '96s, following a late bottling last September, are currently dominated by their structures and will be much slower to open. Both vintages offer lovely purity of pinot flavor.