2011 Meursault Village

The June 30 hail was the most destructive storm here in 2012, resulting in crop losses of up to 60% in the family's holdings in Meursault Vireuils, Chevaliere and Rougeot, said Raphael Coche.Then on August 1, more hail cut the crop on the plain by 10%, with losses closer to 25% on the south side of Meursault (pinot noir yields in Volnay and Monthelie were off by 80%, according to Coche).Conditions then turned windy after the August 1 hail, and the affected grapes fell off the vines, an occurrence Coche described as quite rare.Coche Junior and Senior then harvested early, beginning on Sunday, September 16th.Rafael told me he prefers the whites to the reds in 2012:he finds the pinots a bit hard and lacking in finesse.By the way, the Coches will get an additional parcel of Corton-Charlemagne this year and will soon be able to double their production of this grand cru.Note that the labels here were updated as of the 2010s, except for the Corton-Charlemagne.Only a few of the 2012s were close to the end of their malos at the time of my visit, so I have published early notes on only a few of the more advanced cuvees.