The 2019 Meursault 1er Cru Les Santenots opens in the glass with notes of citrus zest, white flowers and praline. Medium to full-bodied, taut and chalky, it's impressively tightly wound for this sunny site, with racy acids and a nicely defined finish. This is one of the domaine's whites that will merit a little patience.

The 2010 Meursault Les Santenots comes across as quite understated and pretty. Mint, pears, white flowers, honey and slate take shape in the glass as this nuanced, detailed white shows off its considerable personality. The richness of the year comes through on the fleshy, expansive finish. Stylistically, the Santenots lies in between the Corbins and the Cromin. Anticipated maturity: 2012+. (Not yet released) I find much to like in Francois Bitouzet’s 2010 whites. The wines are a bit tighter (in a good way) and more focused than they have been at times. Bitouzet told me he used just the heart of the press, as he wasn’t totally happy with the first press juice. Bitouzet did very little batonnage in 2010, a decision that seems to have paid off handsomely. The harvest started on September 22, quite late, and the malos were lengthy, as they were virtually everywhere. Bitouzet bottled his 2010 whites in March 2012. Importer: Rosenthal Wine Merchant, Pine Plains, NY; tel. (800) 910-1990

The 2009 Meursault Les Santenots impresses for its fabulous balance and sweet, textured fruit. There is more than enough minerality to balance some of the wine’s riper tendencies. A gorgeous, creamy finish rounds this out nicely. This is a beautiful, complete wine from Bitouzet-Prieur. Anticipated maturity: 2012+. Francois Bitouzet showed me a wide range of wines during my visit to the estate in June, 2011. Unfortunately most of the 2010s were still going through malo and were hard to read, but I did have chance to go through the 2008s, which I have included here. The whites are aged for 12 months in oak, 20-25% new. The village wines are then racked into steel for a further 4-6 months, while the premier crus are racked back into barrel. The extended aging in oak for some of the wines and use of batonnage are among the factors that give these whites a fair amount of textural richness and depth, even in cooler, more reticent vintages such as 2008. New oak is between 20-25%. The 2009s were bottled in February 2011. Importer: Rosenthal Wine Merchant, Pine Plains, NY; tel. (800) 910-1990

The 2008 Meursault Les Santenots is powerful yet balanced in a broad, expansive style that caresses the palate with tons of rich, honeyed fruit. Lighter, floral notes appear on the finish, adding brightness to what is otherwise a fairly masculine style of Meursault. All of the elements work nicely here. Anticipated maturity: 2013+. Francois Bitouzet showed me a wide range of wines during my visit to the estate in June, 2011. Unfortunately most of the 2010s were still going through malo and were hard to read, but I did have chance to go through the 2008s, which I have included here. The whites are aged for 12 months in oak, 20-25% new. The village wines are then racked into steel for a further 4-6 months, while the premier crus are racked back into barrel. The extended aging in oak for some of the wines and use of batonnage are among the factors that give these whites a fair amount of textural richness and depth, even in cooler, more reticent vintages such as 2008. New oak is between 20-25%. The 2009s were bottled in February 2011. Importer: Rosenthal Wine Merchant, Pine Plains, NY; tel. (800) 910-1990

The Meursault Santenots, aged in 25% new oak, is a first rate wine. Pear, white flower, and mineral scents are followed by a juicy, refined, medium-to-full-bodied, and silky-textured flavor profile packed with concentrated red currants, orange rinds, and toasty wood. Anticipated maturity: 2000-2005. The score, noted on a range and in parentheses, indicates that the wine was tasted from barrel. Vincent Bitouzet has produced wonderful 1996s. Whereas his white 1995s were luscious and opulent (ideal for near-term drinking), Bitouzet crafted refined and elegant '96s built for the long-haul. Importer: Neal Rosenthal, Select Vineyard, Shekomeko, NY; tel (800) 910-1990.