2009 Meursault Rougeots

The high percentage of coulure in 2010 resulted in small, concentrated grapes with great vivacity but without surmaturite, said Raphael Coche-Dury. "When we picked, they were very ripe but just short of overripening." Acidity levels, both malic and tartaric, were very high, he noted, adding that the 2010s should be great agers. In contrast, the 2009 "are not for enormous aging, but they are very rich and have sound acidity." (Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant)

Raphael Coche-Dury is just past his 30th birthday, but he has already spent more than half his life working at his family's illustrious domaine. It is quite evident Raphael Coche intends to follow his father footsteps, so the future seems to be in very capable hands. Coche describes 2010 as a cold vintage, but one with a lot of concentration because of the extensive coulure (shatter). Conditions in 2009 were pretty much the diametrical opposite. August was very warm, which caused challenges as sugars mounted quickly, but the fruit was healthy. Coche told me he wasn't a huge fan of the vintage, but found the wines improved as they freshened up after the malos. Coche-Dury fans know the estate bottles three separate Meursaults at the villages level which are unfortunately not identified on the labels, which personally I find a bit frustrating. Qualitatively the three wines are quite similar, but their personalities are not. I have provided notes on all three of the 2010s and two of the 2009s, but readers will have to check with their suppliers to know for certain which wine they are buying. The 2009s should drink well relatively early and appear to have the stuffing to also age very well. The 2010s may very well prove to be nearly immortal. Let me just say I can't wait to taste these wines in finished form from bottle.

Coche describes 2009 as "a vintage of pleasure: perfumed, floral, sympathique, charming. And in red, it's even fuller and better. The whites are probably to drink over the next 15 years." He went on to compare his newest crop of white wines to attractive mid-term vintages like 1979 and 1982, maintaining that there was "no chance that the 2009s would close up after the bottling." He added that he did not stir the lees at all in 2009, as this technique would have been "pointless." Coche's 2008s, which I did not try last spring owing to the very late malos, have turned out to be serious wines indeed, with the top two cuvees among my favorites of this vintage. Incidentally, I had a quick look at the Coche-Dury 2009 reds (these wines are largely made by son Raphael), and was knocked out by the way they combine sappy cherry fruit and minerally soil tones.