"89 Points - Allen Meadows, Burghound.com
'Sweetspot' - Outstanding
The fruit derives from multiple lieux-dits that include Les Corbins, Le Cromin, Les Chevalières, Les Crotots, Les Vireuils, Les Pelles, Le Limozin and Les Malpoiriers
Smoky aromas of acacia blossom, toasted nuts, citrus confit and pear are trimmed in all but invisible wood. There is notably better volume and richness to the even punchier medium weight flavors that possess a caressing texture that contrasts with the bright, lemony, clean dry and focused finale. This is very good for its level and also worth checking out."
Jean-Pierre Latour has 10 hectares under vine in Meursault. Wonderfully sited vineyards, low yields, brilliant winemaking and no fining or filtration, make this one of the most exciting domaines in the village at present. The domaine is currently in organic conversion.
The Meursault Cuvée Charles Maxime (a blend of Les Vireuils, Les Corbins and Les Pelles) is plump, rich and generous. The wine is fermented and matured in barrel (around 1/3 new) for 15-16 months.
Allen Meadows, Burghound.com
Jean-Pierre Latour described the 2023 growing season as "one that began with a so-so spring that wasn't particularly warm but at least we avoided any frost damage. The flowering passed well and we enjoyed a generous fruit set. Conditions were quite warm and dry though not to the same degree as those of 2022 and without much disease pressure of significance. We did though suffer a July 13th hailstorm that, depending on the sector, cost us up to 30% in potential volume. While July was largely hot, this was not all bad as it did allow the hail-damaged berries to dry up and fall off the bunches. The first half of August was frankly not great and I started to worry whether the fruit would adequately ripen. The second half of August those was blazing hot and maturities raced forward, indeed to the point where we began picking quite early, which is to say on the 24th of August. The chardonnay was at least quite clean though yields weren't particularly good as they came in on average no better than 25 hl/ha. Potential alcohols were good though at between 13 to 13.5% with reasonably good acid levels. Even though we had no trouble with either fermentation, I honestly did not like my wines early on very much as I was all but certain they would be heavy and lacking in elegance. Happily enough, my concerns turned out to be completely unfounded as they changed enormously during the élevage and now, I really quite like them, particularly for their freshness, verve and excellent transparency." I have said this before but if you're not searching out these wines, you're missing out on one of the best kept secrets in Meursault. They, along with domaines Henri Germain, Ballot-Millot and Michel Bouzereau, consistently offer outstanding quality for quite reasonable prices. Either way, the Latour 2023s are first-rate and every wine is highly recommended.
