2008 Montrachet, Marquis de Laguiche, Grand Cru, Joseph Drouhin, Burgundy

Savoury notes, piercingly crystalline structure.   I thought perhaps it was a Leflaive. Bone dry, high acid and clearly very youthful. This was one of the wines that quite a lot of tasters guessed as a white Burgundy, even if they didn't realise quite how grand it was.

Drink 2016 - 2030

Tasted at the Montrachet vertical in London.

The 2008 Montrachet Grand Cru is a vintage I had not tasted before. Véronique Drouhin commented that the clement harvest weather saved the vintage, but it was a small yield with small berries high in acidity. The 2008 is showing beautifully at the moment. It has a fabulous bouquet of honeycomb, yellow flowers, crushed stone and even a touch of gingerbread. The palate conveys an effervescent quality, showing orange peel and mandarin veins and less mineralité than the 2009 but a fine saline finish. It improves in the glass, so do not be afraid to decant this.

Drink 2019 - 2055

Highly perfumed notes of honeysuckle, acacia blossom, sandalwood, and yellow orchard fruit aromas trimmed in just enough wood to notice give way to powerful, rich, and dense full-bodied flavours that possess obvious muscle and simply huge length on the naturally sweet, complex, and palate-staining finish.

This is a big, powerful, yet elegant wine that is still very much on the way up. That said, there is so much dry extract present that despite the long-term development potential, this could be enjoyed now, though I underscore that this should reward extended ageing. Note that another magnum tasted in November 2016 was lightly premixed and, as such, most disappointing.

Drink from 2023 onward