2014 Montrachet Grand Cru

Micro-négociant and éleveur extraordinaire Mounir Saouma describes 2014 as “a fantastic vintage for white wines in the old style, with low alcohol, high acidity and low pH. The wines are crisper than the fatter 2013s.” Saouma noted that the grape skins in 2014 were ripe even if they didn’t show that quality early on. “But now you really feel the stony dry extract in the wines. The long time on the lees really extended the wines’ finishes. The 2014s show perfect typicity of vineyard and vintage.” Saouma’s wife Rotem Brakin, also a trained winemaker, described 2014 as “pure emotion, effortless: in contrast to the 2012s the ‘14s are not obviously powerful.” As a general rule, the 2014s I sampled at the beginning of June, still in barrels, had alcohol levels between 13.3% and 13.5%, acidity of 4.5 to 4.7 grams per liter, and pHs n the 3.15 range.