The 2011 Morey-Saint-Denis Village has a rather dusty bouquet that needs to find more delineation. The palate is quite lifted on the entry with sharp acidity, but it feels slightly over-macerated in the winery and the smooth finish is missing the character and typicity of a Morey Saint Denis. Drink now-2016. Domaine Lecheneaut own a scattering of parcels across the Cotes de Nuits since Fernand Lecheneaut acquired the holdings back in the 1960s. Since 1985, after their father fell ill, brothers Vincent and Philippe Lecheneaut have run the winery in Nuits-St.-Georges. They farm around 10-hectares of vine, a majority Pinot Noir, including prized vines in Clos de la Roche. The tenets here are for most bunches to be stemmed, depending on the quality of fruit, and aging in Francois Freres oak (up to half new), even for the village crus. As I am accustomed to doing, I appraised the wines before researching their elevage, and time and time again I noted a propensity for the wood to dominate these wines and denude them of personality and individuality. That was frustrating because when I did encounter a cuvee where the wood was singing from the same hymn sheet as the fruit, i.e., the Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru, it stuck out like a sore thumb and exuded appealing fruit character, fine balance and a comparatively character-filled finish. Repeating my sentiment toward Maison Ambroise, if that new oak can be dialed down a little, then I am certain that Lecheneaut’s wines would sing more brightly. Importer: Robert Kacher Selections, Washington, DC; tel. (202) 832-9083

The 2010 Morey St. Denis is striking for its depth, purity and sheer personality. This is a weightless yet energetic wine that shows the refined side of the village in its beautifully articulated fruit, expressive bouquet and silky, textured finish. In short, it is a terrific village level wine. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2020. This is a beautiful set of wines from Lecheneaut. The wines show marvelous detail and nuance in a highly attractive style that captures the best the vintage had to give. Unfortunately the 2010 Clos de la Roche was too reduced to evaluate. Vincent Lecheneaut began picking on September 24. The wines saw 5-6 days of old oak, followed by a cuvaison of 15-21 days. Importer: Robert Kacher Selections, New York City; tel. (212) 239-1275

The 2010 Morey St. Denis is striking for its depth, purity and sheer personality. This is a weightless yet energetic wine that shows the refined side of the village in its beautifully articulated fruit, expressive bouquet and silky, textured finish. In short, it is a terrific village level wine. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2020. This is a beautiful set of wines from Lecheneaut. The wines show marvelous detail and nuance in a highly attractive style that captures the best the vintage had to give. Unfortunately the 2010 Clos de la Roche was too reduced to evaluate. Vincent Lecheneaut began picking on September 24. The wines saw 5-6 days of old oak, followed by a cuvaison of 15-21 days.Importer: Robert Kacher Selections, Washington, DC; tel. (202) 832-9083

The 2009 Morey St. Denis is very pretty. This is a relatively weightless, floral wine for the vintage. Dark red cherries, spices, hard candy and minerals are some of the many notes that are woven into the highly attractive finish. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2024. Importer: Robert Kacher Selections, New York City; tel. (212) 239-1275