Domaine Roulot, Meursault 1er Cru Perrieres 2011

robert_parker97

Reviewed by: Neal Martin

The 2011 Meursault 1er Cru Perrieres has a show-stopping bouquet that roots you to the spot – demonstrating incredible mineralite and intensity. The palate is beautifully balanced and vibrant. Compared to Jean-Marc’s other crus it comes across spicier with a dab of freshly shaved ginger. It leads to a peacock’s tail on the finish that is simply multi-dimensional – shimmering with brilliance. This is a mind-blowing Perrieres – you have been warned! Drink 2014-2030+ Wine is full of hyperbole, now more than ever, but not with respect to the exceptional wines of Jean-Marc Roulot, a grower that has consistently wowed my palate for several years. Although I have met him intermittently in London, this was the first time I had visited his winery on the outskirts of Meursault, just up the road from Coche-Dury. I wonder if their geographical proximity has something to do with stylistic similarities between the two addresses since nobody captures mineralite like these two artisans. It was a good job I penciled in an appointment this week under clement skies. As we descend to his spotlessly clean, relatively capacious cellar he informs me that it was under several inches of water after the previous week’s deluges in late May. Jean-Marc is an engaging vigneron, as one might expect from the former professional actor. I should put that in the present tense since he was about to film a French drama in Beaune, playing a gendarme rather than a winemaker. We tasted a handful of slightly older wines before broaching the 2011s. Moving on to a comprehensive run through his 2011s that had been bottled between January and April, I asked him for his sentiment toward the growing season. “I feel positive toward the vintage after the 2010,” he enthused, “as it is always difficult after such a lauded vintage. The main factor is that in 2011 the grapes were healthy and everything was clean. This was not the case in 2010, which needed some sorting. Maybe the wines are not as powerful, but they are more elegant and precise with better terroir expression. Many things during the season were similar to 2007: hot spring with early flowering; July not so good but flowering and harvest early. We began 24 August with the full team beginning on the 28 August. The 2011s have lower total acidity than 2010 but pH levels are a little better. Also, alcohol potential was around 0.8 degrees lower. I feel more comfortable with this level of alcohol, around 12.5%, than say 13.5% to 14%, as the terroir is expressed better.” Needless to say, Roulot’s 2011s lived up to my expectations as some of the finest white Burgundy wines in 2011, perhaps not quite right up with the very best I have encountered from this address, but utterly delicious and exquisitely crafted. Importer: Kermit Lynch, Berkeley, CA; tel. (510) 524-1524.

robert_parker

Reviewed by: Neal Martin

Tasted blind at the Burgundy 2011 horizontal tasting in Beaune. The 2011 Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières is very reduced on the nose and it is difficult to perceive much terroir expression at the moment. The palate is pointed and very citric on the entry, really missing cohesion one would expect at the beginning. However with encouragement in the glass, this Meursault begins to shake itself down, gaining more precision and tension with almost every swirl. There is still a bit of SO2 to sort out here, so I would afford it as much decanting as you can, preferably having cellared it for 3 or 4 years.