Labeled to reflect its origins in the upper sector of this cru, adjacent to the Clos des Perrieres, Girardin's 2007 Meursault Charmes Dessus is scented with honeysuckle and white peach; fills the mouth with silken-textured, generously ripe, luscious peach and citrus along with lightly-toasted almond; and finishes with a vintage-typical generosity and refreshment that makes many of this year's outstanding Girardin crus seem slightly austere by comparison. This is more soothing and refined, if less nutty or pungent, for example, than the corresponding Genevrieres, but long on saline, chalky mineral suggestions. I would anticipate this embodiment of elegance being worth following for 8-10 years. Fortunately, there are 17 barrels of it (from acreage under contract, not estate-owned) – the opposite of a rare wine, at least by Burgundy standards!
Vincent Girardin picked until past mid-September, with most of his top sites being brought in only from the 10th; allowed skin contact he would have avoided until recent years; and beat the lees on his young wines only until Christmas, but then bottled – with a light fining, and in many instances no filtration – only in May, 2009 to maximize passive time on the lees. The regimen of new wood here (now 20-30% depending on cru) represents a drastic diminution in just the past several years, and the 2007s strike me as far more comfortable in their skins than those of 2004-2006, benefiting also from the freshness and vivacity that characterize the vintage. He picked a week too late in 2006, opines Girardin with hindsight, but then, this was almost unavoidable in at least some instances for a vintner with such huge acreage. Girardin finds his 2007s especially marked by the typicity of each individual site, not only to a greater degree than in the two more obviously ripe preceding vintages, but also than in 2008. This is an aspect he is convinced will gradually be enhanced by a conversion to biodynamic methods that is underway. Girardin's 2007 musts were selectively chaptalized and finished wines here are largely in the vicinity of 13% alcohol. As usual, given the vast array of estate and negociant wines at this address (the latter status noted, where applicable, in my texts), I was not able to take time for tasting them all; in particular omitting the generics.
Importer: Vineyard Brands, Birmingham, AL; tel. (205) 980-8802
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