From a 7 year old foudre crafted, Piron reports, “by a local character, who is unfortunately getting ready to retire,” the 2009 Morgon Cote de Py Cuvee les Pierres – originating in a pebbly yet clay-rich section just uphill from Javernieres – displays both smoked meat and machine oil overlays to its rich black raspberry. A glorious and haunting floral dimension of buddleia gains prominence over time and wells-up from the empty glass. A snappy suggestion of candied tangerine rind as well as invigoratingly tart notes of berry skin and stony impingements all augment an otherwise soothing and luxuriantly mouth-coating fruit matrix, leading to a finish of strikingly vibratory intensity. This should be worth following steadily for 6-8 years. Dominique Piron – for more about whom consult my report in issue 184 – did not begin harvesting his 2009s until September 7 and then worked at it for two weeks (even though his crop was radically reduced by the hail that afflicted nearly every commune in which he grows grapes). Despite the warm weather and reduced crop, only a few of Piron’s individual lots – and none of his finished blends – exceeded 14% alcohol. He segregated an unprecedented number of different Morgons from 2009, but this isn’t merely a case of his next-door neighbor Jean-Marc Burgaud’s practices rubbing off: the distinctive quality of Piron’s five cuvees justifies their number – indeed, this represents far and away the finest Piron collection I have tasted (granting that the assembled wines were still all in tank when I visited in April) and a confirmation that this is among the region’s outstanding, top value-delivering addresses.Importers include Beaune Imports, Berkeley, CA, tel. (510) 559 1040 and Williams Corner Wine, Charlottesville, VA; tel. (434) 566 7079