2004 Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru

As long-time IWCreaders are aware, I've been underwhelmed by Niellon's wines in some recent vintages. Although I've always very much enjoyed the style of these wines, I have not always found the level of concentration or excitement I recall from the '80s and first half of the '90s, and I have wondered if high yields have been the explanation. So I was very pleased on my most recent visit to find a level of texture and intensity in Niellon's 2004s reminiscent of the good old days. Niellon told me that vintage 2004 reminds him of 2001 and noted that the new vintage has more acidity than the very ripe 2002s. The 2004s are probably best for drinking in five or six years, he said. As to the 2003s, he suggested, "Why not drink them in their first five or six years? There's too much risk of disappointment if you wait." The finished 2003s that I tasted are very much in the style of the vintage, and yet these wines have turned out more successfully than I predicted last year.