2007 Chambertin Grand Cru

"A stricter selection was required during the 2008 harvest than in 2007," said Christophe Perrot-Minot, giving me an early preview of the newest vintage. "In 2008 we had lots of rot and unripe berries, while in 2007 we had less problem with underripe fruit." Potential alcohol levels in '07 were in the healthy 12.5% to 12.8% range for the grand crus, and almost no chaptalization was needed. Perrot-Minot pointed out that the wines gained in alcohol at the end of the fermentations in 2007, whereas in 2008, perhaps due to the combination of tougher grape skins and less ripe juice, there was actually a loss of alcohol. The 2007s were scheduled to be racked for the first time shortly after my visit and Perrot-Minot planned to begin bottling in December. New oak percentages here continue to come down: they were 40% for the premier crus and 30% for the village wines in '07, and varied for the grand crus. Incidentally, Perrot-Minot told me he experimented with whole-cluster fermentation in 2008 with portions of his Morey-Saint-Denis Rue de Vergy and Mazoyeres-Chambertin fruit but got a Poire William note that he doesn't care for and is very unlikely to include this juice in their respective blends.