2007 Meursault Les Perrières 1er Cru

Thierry Matrot described 2008 as an incredibly complicated vintage. "On September 10 I didn't think I would have a harvest. There was no spring, no summer and all kinds of problems in the vines.-just about the worst conditions I remember." Matrot was more positive about the wines by the time I visited at the end of May, but they were mostly untastable, as they were at every possible stage of evolution: some with sugar, some with malic acidity, some with both. In comparison to 2008, said Matrot, "2007 was a classic vintage, perfect for my style. The cool September weather gave good levels of tartaric acidity but with ripe fruit. The wines have good structure and their finishes are very pure. You can wait eight years for the top crus, or you can drink them young with Mediterranean cuisines based on tomato, herbs and vegetables, or with curries-dynamic cuisines that need invigorating wines." The finished 2007s, bottled last September, are even better than my tastings from barrel suggested. Matrot added that the '07s are for drinking and the '06s for talking about. "When the two vintages are poured side by side, it's the 2007 that gets drained."

Contrarian Thierry Matrot picked early in '07 and late in '06, in direct contrast to many of his neighbors in Meursault. "On August 28 of 2007 we already had potential alcohol levels between 12.8% and 13.2%, he told me, adding that he brought in "most of the good stuff" during the first week of September. "The wines are not powerful or particularly structured but they are fresh, elegant and nicely delineated," he told me. "Analytically, they are between the '95s and '96s in style: a bit less acid than the '96s and a bit less sweet than the '95s." In fact, said Matrot, 2007 is the first "typical" Burgundy vintage for him since 2002. (Vineyard Brands, Birmingham, AL; Diageo Chateau & Estate Wines, New York, NY) Also recommended: Meursault (85), Meursault Blagny (86).