2012 Marsannay Boivin

Pierre-Jean Roty described 2012 as a vigneron's year "due to all the maladies in the vineyards, beginning with mildew and oidium. It was even more challenging than 2013," he added. Interestingly, he compared the family's 2012s to their 2006s but pointed out that the grapes were larger in the earlier vintage.

A tasting in the chilly garage of the Rotys is something of a marathon owing to the large number of Marsannay cuvees at this address. But these bottlings are some of the best values at the domain, as recent work in the vineyards to "rebalance" these vines is resulting in smaller, riper grapes and more refined wines.I tasted this year with winemaker Philippe Roty's younger brother Pierre-Jean, who told me that the estate uses a "natural purchased yeast" (or a "selected wild yeast") to supplement what comes in on the grapes, as it's needed to get the fermentations off to a good start after the week-long cold soak practiced here.In any event, notes Pierre-Jean, the selected yeast is neutral.The Rotys did two punchdowns a day during the fermentation to get "fruit sweetness," said Pierre-Jean, adding that they use a round, gentle, ball-shaped device rather than a flat-bottomed plunger for the pigeages.He described the young 2012s as blacker than the higher-acid 2010s, with more torrefaction character.