2003 Montrachet Grand Cru (M)

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. )