Meursault 1er cru Genevrières Cuvée des Pierre 2017

LATOUR-GIRAUD

Meursault 1er cru Genevrières Cuvée des Pierre
2017

Country
France
Regulated designation
Appellation origine controlée (AOC)
Region
Burgundy
Subregion
Côte de Beaune
Appellation
Meursault
Classification
1er cru
Varietal(s)
Chardonnay 100 %
Colour
White
Sugar
Dry
Producer's website
Click here

About this winery

The Latour-Giraud estate has been established in the village of Meursault for many generations. Focused primarily on Meursault, the estate owns an impressive range of Premier Cru and Villages vineyards between 20 and 50+ years old, such as the largest Premier Cru Genevrières vineyard in which two thirds of the vines are more than 50 years old. Latour-Giraud specializes in white burgundy, which accounts for 80% of their production. They own an impressive 2 ha within Mersault, and also have...

See the LATOUR-GIRAUD detail page for more information on this brand

Product notes

The vineyards of Genevrieres is a total of 16 hectares in the heart of the Meursault 1er Crus, south of the village. The name of this appellation comes from the juniper trees that used to grow there in the past.

Production notes

Only the free run juice is fermented with wild, natural yeasts in barrels of which 35% is new. The wines are kept on their lees an appropriate time to balance texture and acidity while racking is kept to a minimum. The whites are fined, but not filtered, and bottled by hand. Unlike many producers who bottle all their wines at once, Latour-Giraud carefully monitors each wine and bottles at the optimal time over a 6 month period.

Tasting notes

This wine is the classic combination of minerality and the spice of the Genevrieres vineyard. Its deep concentration and power is provided by the old vines. Great aging potential.

Press reviews

Burghound.com

- 95 points -

June 2016 (Vintage 2014)

(from 50+ year old vines). An expressive and highly complex nose of
dried flowers, white pear and citrus notes introduces borderline painfully intense, pure and impressively powerful big-bodied flavors that possess a discreet touch of minerality on the once again palate staining, tension-filled and driving finish. There is
so much volume that this is almost unctuous yet the lemon-tinged acidity allows this to avoid any sense of heaviness on the muscular, indeed almost brutal finish. I would strongly advise not even thinking about opening a bottle of this massive wine
before it has at least 5 years of age on it. I should further note that this is not a Genevrieres with the usual amount of refinement but rather one of overt power and punch that is dramatic in its intensity and drive. Color me seriously impressed by
just the sheer scale of this wine.

See detailed press review
Burghound.com

- 94 points -

June 2020

This is aromatically similar to the regular cuvée of Genevrières with just a bit more oak influence though I underscore that it remains subtle. The tight, intense and mineral-driven middle weight plus flavors brim with old vine sap that imparts a sappiness to the mouthfeel while buffering the very firm acid spine shaping the impressively long finish. This is terrific and impeccably well-balanced and a wine that should age for a very long time if desired.

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Burghound.com

- 94 points -

June 2015

(from 50+ year old vines). There is a touch of mineral reduction present on the equally elegant nose that features notes of spice, lilac, white orchard fruit and plenty of floral elements. There is superb richness yet no lack of detail to the almost painfully intense full-bodied flavors that coat the mouth with dry extract before concluding in a stony, complex and irreproachably well-balanced finish. This is stony to the point that the word rocky could reasonably describe it and like the Champs Canet, this is definitely a ‘wow’ wine though note well that patience will be required.

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Vinous

94+ Points

Stephen Tanzer , September 2016 (Vintage 2014)

(Latour had two one-year-old barrels of this juice, representing a yield of just 12 hectoliters per hectare): Bright, light yellow. Tight, slightly metallic aromas of soft citrus fruits, peppermint and menthol, lifted by ineffable high-pitched spice oils. Then shockingly dense, brisk and deep in the mouth; a wine of almost voluptuous dimension but penetrating acidity and powerful minerality give the mid-palate outstanding definition. This potentially great wine will need time to harmonize but it already hints at the sweetness to come. The chewy, extract-rich finish goes on and on.

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Burghound.com

91-94 Points

Allen Meadows, June 2014

(from 50+ year old vines). Strong reduction flattens the underlying fruit to the point that it is impossible to read. This is a big wine with imposing size, weight and muscle where the underlying minerality adds lift to the explosive flavors and finish that are also supported by a citrus-inflected acid spine on the bone dry and hugely persistent finish. This is almost painfully intense yet it remains harmonious and well-balanced. This too is very much recommended provided that you have the patience to cellar it for at least 5 years as it’s unlikely to drink well before that.

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Burghound.com

(93-95) points

June 2023 (Vintage 2021)

(from 50+ year old vines that see a bit more new wood though this means 33% rather than 25%; 1 barrel made rather than the usual 4 to 5 and as such, it will be bottled exclusively in magnum format). A reserved nose is a lovely marriage of mineral reduction, exotic tea, a plethora of floral elements and a very subtle application of oak. The palate impression is similar as it combines concentration, power and refinement along with an almost pungent minerality that adds lift to the lemony, youthfully austere and very tightly coiled finale that goes on and on. This is terrific and a wine that should age effortlessly and particularly so in large format.

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Vinous

(93-95)

September 2016

Slightly hazy bright yellow. Pure but subdued aromas of stone fruits and spices are less marked by the vintage than most of Latour's other 2015s. Wonderfully fine-grained and light on its feet, with a touch of green vegetables and a high-toned hint of lavender lifting the middle palate. Very airy in the mouth if still a bit youthfully tight. Sneaky acidity comes up on the back end of this wonderfully silky, intense Meursault. An outstanding 2015 with terrific energy (4.6 g/l acidity) and length.

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Vinous

93+

Stephen Tanzer, September 2018 (Vintage 2016)

(four barrels produced--one new, two once-used and one twice-used): Bright yellow. Alluring perfume of ripe peach, hazelnut and brown spices. Savory, utterly refined wine; at once ripe and dry, offering a lovely balance of salinity and concentrated stone fruit flavors. Currently more reserved than the Genevrières cuvée classique, finishing salty and backward but without any hard edges. This is an outstanding expression of soil with lovely citrus energy and superb longer-term potential. Tight and taut, as it should be in a good vintage. Saturates the palate and builds slowly and inexorably on the back end. This wine has historically been made from Latour's oldest parcel in Genevrières. He has done a bit of recent replanting and thus the source of this special bottling is in the process of shifting, but he told me that the wine will "always be from 50+-year-old vines in the same band of soil."

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Burghound.com

(91-94) Points

Allen Meadows, June 2018 (Vintage 2016)

(from 50+ year old vines). A slightly more expressive nose is comprised by notes of green apple, gardenia, spiced tea and a hint of matchstick. The mouth feel of the ultra-refined yet powerful and serious flavors is presently quite compact while exhibiting an abundance of minerality that carries over to the beautifully well-balanced, youthfully austere and moderately dry finale. This should be excellent.

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Burghound.com

92 Outstanding

June 2019 (Vintage 2017)

Touches of matchstick character and the exotic add breadth to the cool and overtly spicy green fruit and citrus peel-scented aromas. There is more volume to the almost painfully intense middle weight flavors that possess excellent cut before terminating in a mineral-driven, bitter lemon-inflected and slightly warm finish that delivers fine length. The old vines are in evidence as this is a big and unusually powerful Genevrières.

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Vinous

(93-95) Points

September 2018 (Vintage 2017)

(Latour has three barrels of this juice, one new, one once-used and one twice-used): Pale, bright yellow. Very pure, minerally aromas of underripe pineapple, soft citrus fruits, white pepper, hazelnut, wild herbs and menthol. Thick, concentrated and very deep, conveying a powerful impression of solidity. The wine's pronounced soft citrus fruit sweetness is counterpointed by salty minerality. Most impressive today on the slowly mounting, savory finish, which boasts terrific building energy. This sappy, utterly seamless wine would be unctuous were it not for its 4.5 g/l acidity, the highest among these 2017s. Owing to the advanced age of these vines and to heat during the flowering, the yield here was just 20 hectoliters per hectare, according to Latour, who added that this wine "gives the real image of the vintage." I disagree, as there are very few 2017 premier crus at the quality level of this one.

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Burghound.com

93-96 Points

June 2022 (Vintage 2020)

Here too there is a vague whiff of the exotic on the markedly spicy aromas of dried peach, pear, apricot, passion fruit and a similar background note of phenolic character. There is again excellent volume to the overtly stony medium weight flavors that brim with sappy dry extract on the balanced and superbly persistent finale. This ageworthy effort is also very, very classy and a wine that is worth a special search to find.

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