The 2009 Chevalier-Montrachet Les Demoiselles is utterly seamless. As inviting as the Chevalier is today, it is also very, very young and years away from offering its finest drinking. White flowers, pears and slate inform the taut, energetic finish. The personality of the vintage comes through, but there is more than enough buffering acidity to balance the overtness of the fruit. (AG)

2009 is a very ripe vintage for white Burgundy, and this is of course evident on the nose of the ’09 Les Demoiselles from Maison Jadot. The extroverted bouquet offers up a blend of honeysuckle, apple, pear, fresh almonds, chalky soil tones, a touch of orange zest and a deft framing of vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, pure and well-balanced, with sound framing acids, good focus and just a touch of backend heat poking out on the long finish. This is a very, very fine 2009 white Burgundy, but it will not make “old bones” by the standards of this long-lived bottling.

Pale straw-yellow color. Utterly captivating nose combines white plum, anisette, crushed stone, medicinal herbs, fresh hazelnut, almond, marzipan and white pepper. Powerful, dense and seamless, with terrific fruit intensity and violet lift. Beautifully balanced, suave, rich Chevalier-Montrachet with with a very long, mounting finish. Lardiere prefers this wine to the 2008 and believes it will age for a long time. (ST)