2008 Meursault Les Genevrières 1er Cru

Pierre-Yves Colin had originally planned to start picking on September 5 in 2017 but moved up the harvest to August 29, bringing in his Meursaults, Chassagnes and grand crus before substantial rain fell on September 2. He harvested his Saint-Aubin grapes at the end, finishing on September 8. The challenge in 2017 was to hold down the yields, Colin told me at the beginning of June. He trimmed a lot of shoots at the beginning to keep a maximum of 10 or 12 clusters per vine, but still made almost the maximum permitted quantities in some vineyards. Yields in most of his Chassagne-Montrachet parcels were in the range of 45 to 50 hectoliters per hectare, which Colin described as quite high. He did not chaptalize his ’17s, even his Bourgogne, which was picked with 12% potential alcohol. The Saint-Aubins ranged from 12% to 13.2% and the Meursaults and Chassagnes from 12.5% to 13.2%. Colin noted that “the ripeness went up during late August because it wasn’t overly dry.” And he pointed out that there were only about 95 days between the flowering and the harvest in 2017 due to the fact that the flowering was so early and the period just before the harvest was in late August, when days were still long.

Colin, who has been among the region’s superstar producers of white wine virtually since he started his négociant operation in 2001 and whose wines have established a track record for avoiding premature oxidation, ferments all of his wines in barrels with indigenous yeasts and without temperature control. He never fines the juice and he does not believe in stirring the lees. And he’s a late bottler, typically waiting until the second March and April after the harvest. He emphasized that “2017 is not a vintage for early bottling,” but noted that some growers “are going to do exactly that.” The malos here finished between January and mid-May; some of the wines were sulfited after the secondary fermentations but none of the wines had been racked at the time of my visit.

Colin informed me that the wines were low in SO2 but they showed spectacularly nonetheless, offering uncommon texture and thickness with harmonious acidity and plenty of verve. Best of all, they are all remarkably different from one another. For his part, Colin compares them to the 2011s, another early harvest whose wines were approachable from the beginning. He noted that the ‘11s have good body and are drinking well but are still very young. And he’s not worried about the ageability of his ‘17s, which “are more precise and deep than the ‘11s when the yields were under control.”

Pierre-Yves Colin told me that at harvest it was impossible to see the difference between first- and second-generation grapes. That made it risky to choose a compromise date for the harvest, he added, and it was also the reason why he didn’t pick too early in ’16 (he began on September 22). “I wanted to give the second-generation grapes a chance to get ripe enough,” he explained, “and thanks to the warm summer they were able to mostly catch up.” Still, grape sugars and acidity levels were lower than in 2017, and Colin chaptalized most of his wines by 0.3% or 0.4% “to extend the fermentations and get more fat.” He also believes that extending the élevage helped him "get rid of the exotic side of the vintage." Colin told me that today the 2016s remind him a bit of the 2008s, which he says are starting to come around, so he thinks that the better ‘16s need eight to ten years of cellaring.

Colin typically assembles his wines just three weeks before bottling and prefers to do a long élevage; he told me he likes "the old approach" of leaving the wines on their lees in barrel in a cold cellar for 18 to 20 months—i.e., through two winters. And he’s not a fan of racking wines into tanks for further élevage prior to bottling as he much prefers the way the wines evolve in barrels. "Stainless steel tanks don't bring any evolution to the wines; the wines don’t really continue their lives and they can take on a metallic quality," he explained. "This is probably a better option than early bottling—for example, it can give the grower more time to manage the SO2 level in a wine—but it doesn’t really add much."

“I’ll always remember the extreme 2016 growing season,” said Pierre-Yves Colin at the beginning of June. “It was amazing that we were able to make wine from every vineyard. We started from zero after the frost and we thought some vineyards would give nothing.” Colin began harvesting on September 22, with what he described as low potential alcohol between 11.5% and 12.5%. “The ripeness was difficult to get and it arrived at the end. The summer warmth ripened the second-generation fruit. This was unhoped-for but we took all of it. From the most affected vineyards, the wines are half first- and half second-generation fruit.”

“It’s not an unripe vintage, as in 2007 and 2004,” Colin emphasized. “The fruit character is more citrus than stone fruits. And the vintage is more mineral than 2015 in terms of its freshness at the beginning. Some of the best 2016s remind me of the 2010s. The bad thing for growers in 2016 is the low quantities, not the quality of the wines.” The alcoholic fermentations were slow, and the first malo didn’t finish until March; 95% of the Colin ‘16s were finished and sulfited by the time of my visit, although Colin has reduced his sulfur additions as his large new cellar is cooler than the one under his home in the center of the village. “We’re getting more texture, minerality and cleanness with élevage to this point," he pointed out.

Colin, who considered the 2015s to be outstanding from the beginning, nonetheless noted that the wines changed dramatically during their last months of élevage. He had originally planned to bottle them in February but delayed the bottling date twice for his crus not from Saint-Aubin, as the wines were gaining in energy. He considers 2015 to be a classic vintage and better then 2014 for the long haul. “The ‘15s totally resist oxidation after you uncork them,” he noted.

“I’ll always remember the extreme 2016 growing season,” said Pierre-Yves Colin at the beginning of June. “It was amazing that we were able to make wine from every vineyard. We started from zero after the frost and we thought some vineyards would give nothing.” Colin began harvesting on September 22, with what he described as low potential alcohol between 11.5% and 12.5%. “The ripeness was difficult to get and it arrived at the end. The summer warmth ripened the second-generation fruit. This was unhoped-for but we took all of it. From the most affected vineyards, the wines are half first- and half second-generation fruit.”

“It’s not an unripe vintage, as in 2007 and 2004,” Colin emphasized. “The fruit character is more citrus than stone fruits. And the vintage is more mineral than 2015 in terms of its freshness at the beginning. Some of the best 2016s remind me of the 2010s. The bad thing for growers in 2016 is the low quantities, not the quality of the wines.” The alcoholic fermentations were slow, and the first malo didn’t finish until March; 95% of the Colin ‘16s were finished and sulfited by the time of my visit, although Colin has reduced his sulfur additions as his large new cellar is cooler than the one under his home in the center of the village. “We’re getting more texture, minerality and cleanness with élevage to this point," he pointed out.

Colin, who considered the 2015s to be outstanding from the beginning, nonetheless noted that the wines changed dramatically during their last months of élevage. He had originally planned to bottle them in February but delayed the bottling date twice for his crus not from Saint-Aubin, as the wines were gaining in energy. He considers 2015 to be a classic vintage and better then 2014 for the long haul. “The ‘15s totally resist oxidation after you uncork them,” he noted.

Pierre-Yves Colin told me he picked when he did “because the stems were already brown—in fact, I’ve never picked with my wood as brown as in 2015.” He went on: “At the end, the maturity came from loss of water, and the evaporation also preserved the acidity in the grapes.” Colin harvested Bourgogne on September 1, then went on to his top appellations the next day. Sugar levels ranged from 12.2% to 13.3% and he did not add sugar. “We were never worried about the balance of the wines because the fruit was perfectly clean,” he told me. Still, as he had new equipment and a new winemaking facility at the foot of the village of Chassagne-Montrachet, he carried out a triage to eliminate green grapes and any that had been affected by oidium.

His new cellar is naturally cold, and Colin is taking advantage of his new facility to slow down the development of his wines. His Chassagne-Montrachet cuvées mostly completed their malolactic transformations in April and May but some of the Meursaults were not yet finished. Colin told me that the 2015s remind him of the 2003s in the way they resist oxidation. “I suspect the acidity levels are quite low but they don’t affect the balance of the wines.”

Incidentally, Colin’s wines are now 80% from estate fruit. His recent purchases of vines have included some Puligny-Montrachet La Garenne in 2012, Chassagne-Montrachet Abbaye de Morgeot in 2014, and another piece of Saint-Aubin La Chatenière to enlarge this cuvée. He has also bought more Hautes-Côtes de Beaune, as well as some Saint-Aubin Les Perrières in 2013, mostly from his aunt.

Although Pierre-Yves Colin described 2014 as the greatest vintage of his career, he cautioned that the market has taken a rather simplistic view of both this vintage and 2015. “Consumers love 2014 and are worried about low acidity in 2015, but I’m not sure about either conclusion. The 2014s are clean, balanced and very good. We had less stress in the vineyards than in 2012, which suffered in August, but I would still prefer not to drink the 2014s too late.” He went on: “I like the concentration of the 2015s, which to me means that the wines will age very well. Both ’15 and ’14 are better than 2013 but in very different styles.” Incidentally, Colin keeps his wines in barrel until the assemblage in tanks, then bottles a day later—in March and April in the case of all but the lightest 2014 cuvées.

Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey harvested between September 9 and 18 in 2014 in "very warm conditions," with potential alcohol levels ranging from 12% to 13%. "It was an easy vintage in the vineyards and in the cellar," he told me, adding that he did not do any chaptalization or batonnage. "But I was never worried about having heavy wines," he pointed out. He compares the 2014s to the 2002s but believes that the new vintage has a better balance. "The power of the vintage is its wisdom; it had a natural balance so I didn't have to think, which is quite rare. The '14s remind me of great classic vintages like 1992 and 1985." Production ranged from 40 to 50 hectoliters per hectare, slightly lower than yields in 2013 but higher than those of 2012.

Colin-Morey told me he's slowly changing his view about winemaking. He still likes "clean and minerally" wines but he now believes that the best-aging white Burgundies need more ripeness "and no chaptalization." He went on: "Longevity is a function of a balance between ripeness and acidity."

Colin-Morey described 2013 as a more challenging year. "The wines are more straight and have less body." Except for the grand crus, he blocked a portion of the malolactic fermentations, because when the first lots finished their malos, he thought the wines lacked life and he "didn't recognize the fruit." Although the '13s are crisp and focused, he finds them interesting in their youth and more accessible than the young 2014s.

Pierre-Yves Colin told me that favored chardonnay sites were ripe by September 26 or 27 and that he "picked most of the good stuff" by the Friday night before the major rainfall, then waited until the following Monday (October 7) for the vines to dry out. He describes the young '13s as "frank and fine, with a cool aspect" and places them between 2004 and 2007 in style. Interestingly, he found that the wines that finished their malos early lacked eclat and thus he blocked 20% to 30% of the secondary fermentations in his remaining wines. The grand crus will be bottled with 12.6% to 12.8% alcohol following about 0.5% chaptalization, with the village wines weighing in at about 12.2%. Colin did no debourbage or batonnage, and the wines were still on their lees at the end of May but had been lightly sulfured two weeks prior to my visit. Colin considers 2012 to be "a millesime de garde between 2009 and 2010 in style." He was worried about overripeness in the early going but believed that a long elevage on the lees brought greater freshness to the wines. (A Daniel Johnnes Selection; imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, www.skurnikwines.com; also imported by Atherton Wine Imports, www.awiwine.com)

Pierre-Yves Colin told me that favored chardonnay sites were ripe by September 26 or 27 and that he "picked most of the good stuff" by the Friday night before the major rainfall, then waited until the following Monday (October 7) for the vines to dry out.He describes the young '13s as "frank and fine, with a cool aspect" and places them between 2004 and 2007 in style.Interestingly, he found that the wines that finished their malos early lacked eclat and thus he blocked 20% to 30% of the secondary fermentations in his remaining wines.The grand crus will be bottled with 12.6% to 12.8% alcohol following about 0.5% chaptalization, with the village wines weighing in at about 12.2%.Colin did no debourbage or batonnage, and the wines were still on their lees at the end of May but had been lightly sulfured two weeks prior to my visit.Colin considers 2012 to be "a millesime de garde between 2009 and 2010 in style."He was worried about overripeness in the early going but believed that a long elevage on the lees brought greater freshness to the wines. (A Daniel Johnnes Selection; imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, www.skurnikwines.com; also imported by Atherton Wine Imports, www.awiwine.com)

Pierre-Yves Colin did a long pressing of the grapes in 2012 and then hardly any cold settling of the must, starting with less of the gross lees and then avoiding lees-stirring.The wines, he told me, were less protected by SO2 at the time of my annual visit than the 2011s had been a year earlier.The 2012s are thicker and richer than the 2011s, with yields generally down 20% in the newer vintage.The 2012s I tasted at the beginning of June had finished their malos at least a month before my visit and had been sulfited, but a number of other 2012s at this address were still in the middle of their secondary fermentations and not ready to be shown.As part of his efforts to prevent his wines from prematurely oxidizing, Colin uses wider, untreated corks, always makes his last sulfur additions two months prior to bottling so that the wines are stable, and uses beeswax on the capsules to seal the corks.He has also gone largely to 350-liter barrels:they account for about 80% of his annual production of roughly 60,000 bottles. (A Daniel Johnnes Selection, www.danieljohnneswines.com; imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, www.skurnikwines.com and Atherton Imports, www.awiwine.com)

It's always great to sit down with Pierre-Yves Colin and run through what has grown to be one of the most impressive collections in Burgundy. Unlike most of his colleagues, Colin prefers long elevage for his top wines, and strictly in oak. "Letting wines sit in steel for 6 months is not elevage" he adds emphatically. Colin prefers slightly larger 350 liter barrels for most of his wines. As impressive as the Colin Burgundies are, they do need quite a bit of air if opened young. The 2011s have come a long way since I tasted them last year. In 2011 the malos were done by the end of October, which is unheard of, the result of cellars that stayed warm in the weeks following the harvest. Today, the 2011s are striking. Some will drink well early, while others need a bit of bottle age. Otherwise, its hard to go wrong with any of these beautiful, handcrafted whites.

Pierre-Yves Colin did a long pressing of the grapes in 2012 and then hardly any cold settling of the must, starting with less of the gross lees and then avoiding lees-stirring.The wines, he told me, were less protected by SO2 at the time of my annual visit than the 2011s had been a year earlier.The 2012s are thicker and richer than the 2011s, with yields generally down 20% in the newer vintage.The 2012s I tasted at the beginning of June had finished their malos at least a month before my visit and had been sulfited, but a number of other 2012s at this address were still in the middle of their secondary fermentations and not ready to be shown.As part of his efforts to prevent his wines from prematurely oxidizing, Colin uses wider, untreated corks, always makes his last sulfur additions two months prior to bottling so that the wines are stable, and uses beeswax on the capsules to seal the corks.He has also gone largely to 350-liter barrels:they account for about 80% of his annual production of roughly 60,000 bottles. (A Daniel Johnnes Selection, www.danieljohnneswines.com; imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, www.skurnikwines.com and Atherton Imports, www.awiwine.com)

Pierre-Yves Colin probably best articulated what is my own nagging doubt about the 2011 vintage.When explaining why he racked his wines exposed to oxygen in late April, he told me that he did it "because some of them were flat and boring.The racking gave them more personality and energy."He planned to rack again at the beginning of July and move the wines to tank."After September 4, the fruit lost a bit of its water," Colin explained."The grapes didn't gain in sugar but they did gain in concentration.But the fruit wasn't really that ripe in 2011.In retrospect I would have picked even later for more concentration of flavor; I would have started on September 7."Still, Colin was feeling better about the vintage at the end of May than he was last fall."I'm only starting to understand the wines now," he told me."I thought they would be like the 2007s and 2004s for their good fruit, but the malos took place very early--by the end of October--and that fresh quality is just coming back now." (A Daniel Johnnes Selection, www.danieljohnneswines.com; imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, www.skurnikwines.com and Atherton Imports, www.awiwine.com)

Pierre-Yves Colin probably best articulated what is my own nagging doubt about the 2011 vintage.When explaining why he racked his wines exposed to oxygen in late April, he told me that he did it "because some of them were flat and boring.The racking gave them more personality and energy."He planned to rack again at the beginning of July and move the wines to tank."After September 4, the fruit lost a bit of its water," Colin explained."The grapes didn't gain in sugar but they did gain in concentration.But the fruit wasn't really that ripe in 2011.In retrospect I would have picked even later for more concentration of flavor; I would have started on September 7."Still, Colin was feeling better about the vintage at the end of May than he was last fall."I'm only starting to understand the wines now," he told me."I thought they would be like the 2007s and 2004s for their good fruit, but the malos took place very early--by the end of October--and that fresh quality is just coming back now." (A Daniel Johnnes Selection, www.danieljohnneswines.com; imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, www.skurnikwines.com and Atherton Imports, www.awiwine.com)

Pierre-Yves Colin and Caroline Morey follow their stunning 2009s with an equally compelling set of 2010s. The 2010s have deep site-specific signatures, rich fruit and plenty of acidity. Fans of this small, but increasingly high profile address will want to flock to these wines. Pierre Yves Colin started picking on September 22. Yields were down just 5-10%, which is pretty remarkable considering the vintage. It was a difficult vintage in the cellar, as malos were late and slow. When I visited last June, virtually all of the wines were still finishing their malos. With the exception of the St. Aubins, the 2010s spent about 18 months in barrel. The St. Aubins were bottled in November 2011. All of the other 2010s were bottled in April 2012. The 2011s, which I tasted from barrel, are very promising, so there is a lot to look forward to.

It was necessary to treat the vines against oidium and mildew until early August in 2010, said Pierre-Yves Colin, but in the end he had clean grapes and a superb harvest, "with less than 5% rot." Colin believes that his 2010s have similar acidity to the 2008s, which he describes as a bit more exotic, but that the newer set of wines also possess a better natural balance of vivacity and gras. The 2009s, he continued, are less vivid today but they may have more force than the 2008s and 2010s. "They should be great in ten years." Colin racked the 2009s twice, exposed to air, and a long elevage on the lees in an attempt to "shrink them down." The 2010 malos were almost entirely finished by the date of my visit but the wines had not yet been racked. He did no debourbage and no batonnage, and with the fruit picked with potential alcohol between 12.8% and 13%, no chaptalization was necessary. Colin continues to bring down the percentage of new oak he uses to age his wines. (A Daniel Johnnes Selection; imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Syosset, NY; and Atherton Imports, Atherton, CA)

It was necessary to treat the vines against oidium and mildew until early August in 2010, said Pierre-Yves Colin, but in the end he had clean grapes and a superb harvest, "with less than 5% rot." Colin believes that his 2010s have similar acidity to the 2008s, which he describes as a bit more exotic, but that the newer set of wines also possess a better natural balance of vivacity and gras. The 2009s, he continued, are less vivid today but they may have more force than the 2008s and 2010s. "They should be great in ten years." Colin racked the 2009s twice, exposed to air, and a long elevage on the lees in an attempt to "shrink them down." The 2010 malos were almost entirely finished by the date of my visit but the wines had not yet been racked. He did no debourbage and no batonnage, and with the fruit picked with potential alcohol between 12.8% and 13%, no chaptalization was necessary. Colin continues to bring down the percentage of new oak he uses to age his wines. (A Daniel Johnnes Selection; imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Syosset, NY; and Atherton Imports, Atherton, CA)

Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey is one of Burgundy's most exciting young producers. Colin-Morey works with six hectares of vineyards, three of which are estate owned, while the rest are sources of purchased fruit. According to Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey, the key to 2009 was picking early. The harvest started on the September 4. Colin-Morey did a long, slow press, with no bâtonnage once the wines were in barrel, all with the aim of preserving as much freshness as possible given the natural ripeness of the fruit. Roughly 80% of the wines were aged in 350-liter barrels, larger than the norm in Burgundy. Colin-Morey finished bottling the 2009s in April 2011. Colin-Morey told me he wasn't enthused about the 2009s at first, but now thinks the wines have enough freshness to age well.

This address in Chassagne-Montrachet is quickly becoming one of my go-to stops for chewy, rich white Burgundy that appears to have real staying power. Pierre-Yves Colin says that 2009 reminds him of a great classic vintage of the '80s-"a year like '85 or '89. The wines have a lot of body and richness but also a lot of white flowers-and almost too much fruit. They're textured but also fine and high-pitched. It's also a vintage with a rather fragile balance, not a vintage to push. And it's easy to make boring wines in 2009." He went on to explain that the wines need to be worked with oxygen. He had already racked his wines with air, but had put them back in the barrels with all their lees. They're very concentrated wines, yet Colin admits to having made the full permitted yields. Natural alcohols ranged from 12.3% to 13.1% and Colin chaptalized most of his wines lightly to extend the fermentations and facilitate integration of the oak. For his 2008s, Colin decided to prevent the last 20% of the malolactic fermentations from occurring; he racked and blended his various wines, then put them back in barrel with an SO2 addition. The reason for this approach? He found a huge difference in the wines before and after the malos, and he didn't think the post-malo wines were high-pitched enough. Since they began without much tartaric acidity in 2008, he did little or no batonnage. Colin describes the wines as "slight now but also round and fruity. They remind me of the good 2001s." (A Daniel Johnnes Selection; imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Syosset, NY; Atherton Wine Imports, Atherton, CA)

Pierre-Yves Colin, who has taken all manner of measures to protect his wines against premature oxidation, advanced the theory that high alcohol levels, whether from late harvesting or excessive chaptalization, can lead to premature oxidation by knocking the wines off balance. "It's crazy to say that wines need 13% alcohol to age for 20 years," he insisted. He waited until September 8 to pick in 2007 but nonetheless brought in fruit with natural alcohol ranging from 11.7% to 12.3%. His richest 2007s are about 12.8% in bottle, while some are more like 12.4%. But the most important element in making stable wines, says Colin, is to allow the wines to make themselves. "Those who bottle before the next harvest have to rush the wine through every step of its development," he said, adding that he does not crush the grapes, does a fairly strong pressing but then no debourbage, and begins with about ten liters of lees per barrel. He's happy when the malolactic fermentations don't finish for nine months, which he describes as "roughly half of my elevage." Colin harvested on the early side in 2008 (he's now doing more of the work in the vineyards he buys from, and has more of a say in choosing picking dates), and had grape sugars between 12% and 12.5%. He did "zero" batonnage, and the wines I tasted, except for the Batard, had finished their malolactic fermentations; most had been sulfited about a month prior to my visit. Incidentally, Colin describes 2008 as "completely different from 2007: more aromatic on the nose and more ample in the mouth, but with a strong acid structure." Still, the 2007s were stunning at the beginning of June. Colin made 70,000 bottles of 2007 (all white wine), more than half of which is Saint-Aubin. The 2007s were bottled in March of 2009 without fining or filtration. Colin ages most of his crus in 350-liter barrels made by Chassin and Francois Freres. (A Daniel Johnnes Selection; imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Syosset, NY; Atherton Wine Imports, Atherton, CA)

Pierre-Yves Colin, who has taken all manner of measures to protect his wines against premature oxidation, advanced the theory that high alcohol levels, whether from late harvesting or excessive chaptalization, can lead to premature oxidation by knocking the wines off balance. "It's crazy to say that wines need 13% alcohol to age for 20 years," he insisted. He waited until September 8 to pick in 2007 but nonetheless brought in fruit with natural alcohol ranging from 11.7% to 12.3%. His richest 2007s are about 12.8% in bottle, while some are more like 12.4%. But the most important element in making stable wines, says Colin, is to allow the wines to make themselves. "Those who bottle before the next harvest have to rush the wine through every step of its development," he said, adding that he does not crush the grapes, does a fairly strong pressing but then no debourbage, and begins with about ten liters of lees per barrel. He's happy when the malolactic fermentations don't finish for nine months, which he describes as "roughly half of my elevage." Colin harvested on the early side in 2008 (he's now doing more of the work in the vineyards he buys from, and has more of a say in choosing picking dates), and had grape sugars between 12% and 12.5%. He did "zero" batonnage, and the wines I tasted, except for the Batard, had finished their malolactic fermentations; most had been sulfited about a month prior to my visit. Incidentally, Colin describes 2008 as "completely different from 2007: more aromatic on the nose and more ample in the mouth, but with a strong acid structure." Still, the 2007s were stunning at the beginning of June. Colin made 70,000 bottles of 2007 (all white wine), more than half of which is Saint-Aubin. The 2007s were bottled in March of 2009 without fining or filtration. Colin ages most of his crus in 350-liter barrels made by Chassin and Francois Freres. (A Daniel Johnnes Selection; imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Syosset, NY; Atherton Wine Imports, Atherton, CA)

Pierre-Yves Colin has supplemented his production with several more hectares of vines from the family domain in Saint-Aubin. He uses a single label for all of his bottlings but points out that there's now more estate than negociant wine. Colin describes the 2007s as very minerally, pungent wines with very good length. He had planned to start picking on August 25, then decided to wait until September 1, and then delayed again until September 7, as he was seeking the best possible combination of sugars and acids. With each delay, said Colin, he had to change his team of pickers. At the end of May, Colin showed me the wines that had finished their malos and sugar fermentations, plus the Chevalier and Batard. The 2006s remained in barrel until August of 2007, then were racked into tanks, where most of them remained until they were bottled in March and April of this year. Colin had poured my samples of 2006s into carafes several hours before I tasted them, but a few of them remained minty and reduced (Colin uses generous doses of SO2 at bottling). "I looked for finesse in 2006; it was almost too easy to get fat," Colin told me, adding that he does almost no batonnage. "I was worried about the fruit in 2006, but the wines are now a pleasant surprise." Incidentally, Colin is now using wax capsules for his export bottles, which he told me now comprise fully 90% of his production. (A Daniel Johnnes Selection; imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Syosset, NY; Atherton Wine Imports, Atherton, CA)

Pierre-Yves Colin has supplemented his production with several more hectares of vines from the family domain in Saint-Aubin. He uses a single label for all of his bottlings but points out that there's now more estate than negociant wine. Colin describes the 2007s as very minerally, pungent wines with very good length. He had planned to start picking on August 25, then decided to wait until September 1, and then delayed again until September 7, as he was seeking the best possible combination of sugars and acids. With each delay, said Colin, he had to change his team of pickers. At the end of May, Colin showed me the wines that had finished their malos and sugar fermentations, plus the Chevalier and Batard. The 2006s remained in barrel until August of 2007, then were racked into tanks, where most of them remained until they were bottled in March and April of this year. Colin had poured my samples of 2006s into carafes several hours before I tasted them, but a few of them remained minty and reduced (Colin uses generous doses of SO2 at bottling). "I looked for finesse in 2006; it was almost too easy to get fat," Colin told me, adding that he does almost no batonnage. "I was worried about the fruit in 2006, but the wines are now a pleasant surprise." Incidentally, Colin is now using wax capsules for his export bottles, which he told me now comprise fully 90% of his production. (A Daniel Johnnes Selection; imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Syosset, NY; Atherton Wine Imports, Atherton, CA)

Pierre-Yves Colin is as cognizant of the dangers of premature oxidation of white Burgundy as any winemaker I visit, and he appears to be taking every possible step to bottle stable, ageworthy wines. He harvested as early as he could in 2006, beginning on the day of the ban (even though many of his holdings are in Saint-Aubin and are usually later to ripen their fruit). As he regarded the 2006 fruit as fragile, he did virtually no cold-settling of the must, keeping more lees with the wines but then doing no batonnage. And he has moved to later bottling as a rule. "Early bottling of the 2006s would accentuate the fragility of these wines," he explained. He planned to rack the wines in August and then move them into cuve for six months of further aging. He is confident that the second winter will "increase the precision and freshness of these wines and reduce their fruitiness." Happily, Colin's small quantity of negociant wine has been supplemented as of 2006 by four hectares of family-owned vines in Saint-Aubin. Colin believes that vintage 2005 offer more homogeneous quality than 2006, but he feels that the top 2006s are superb and may ultimately prove to have more personality. (A Daniel Johnnes Selection; imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Syosset, NY; Atherton Wine Imports, Atherton, CA)