The 2007 Meursault La Sève du Clos from Arnaud Ente is fabulous, wafting from the glass with a complex bouquet of pear, crisp stone fruit and blanched almonds, as well as delicate top-notes of petrol and subtly smoky reduction. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied and intensely concentrated, with chewy extract, crystalline purity and electrifying energy: deep, multidimensional and effortlessly controlled. Ente's La Sève du Clos is produced from his oldest vines, from a parcel in En l'Ormeau that was planted not long after phylloxera hit Meursault in 1878. Until 1999, it wasn't replanted, and when vines died their neighbors were simply pruned longer to fill the space; today, some of these old vines' extended trunks have to be supported with stones. While this is only a village Meursault, and not from an especially prestigious lieu-dit at that, the combination of more than 120-year-old vines and Ente's meticulous winemaking produce a cuvée that embarrasses many grand cru whites.

There are five barrels this year of Ente’s 2007 Meursault Le Seve du Clos from ancient vines in the Ormeau, as compared with just three in 2006. Musky, narcissus-like florality and ocean breeze salinity and alkalinity in the nose are joined by lemon, yellow plum, white peach, and high-toned herbal essences on a persistently invigorating and mouth-wateringly saline palate, virtually fat-free – though boasting a slick of glycerin – and athletic in its leanness and energy. The mineral matter here seems to stick to my teeth, not to mention my gums, along with toasty and faintly bitter notes of nuts and peach kernel. Ethereal floral and herbal distillates and an almost electric tingling of citrus add allure to the wine's formidable, penetrating finish. Arnaud Ente began picking September 2, but although he is nearly always a partisan of early harvest, this one was spread out over nearly two weeks to optimize the aggregation of clarity and sufficient ripeness. That said, high acidity – including a sizeable share of malic acid – remained a common denominator and higher than in 2004 because, in Ente's words, "there was no heat during the summer to burn it off." His malo-lactic fermentations, however, were finished already in mid-winter. Natural alcohol levels were low – predictably, given both the vintage and Ente's strategy and preferences – not exceeding 12.5%, and only the Aliogte was chaptalized. For Ente, vintages without hot summer weather are simply the more interesting and enjoyable, thanks in large part precisely to their higher acidity and lower alcohol.Importer: Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant, Berkeley, CA; tel (510) 524-1524