2014 Bouchard Pere et Fils, Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru

Pale, bright yellow. Alluring high-pitched perfume of lime blossom, white peach, flowers and lavender sea salt. Penetrating, gripping wine with a superb spine of acidity and minerality to its savory flavors of white peach, lemon and crushed stone. Displays a wonderfully light touch and a fine-grained texture but also powerful stony mineral spine for a slow and graceful evolution in bottle. An outstanding vintage for this bottling, finishing with almost painful cut and uncommon lift.

The 2014 Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru has an enticing, subtle bouquet, timid at first but soon finding its voice and developing attractive citrus peel, yuzu and tinned apricot scents all struck through with tangible mineral tones. The palate is well balanced with impressive weight in the mouth. It never lets everything go, preferring to remain linear and maintain precision, gently fanning out towards the finish with a pinch of white pepper and vibrant citrus fruit. This is a very well-crafted Chevalier-Montrachet that is imbued with a sense of joie-de-vivre.

Rich fruit and good concentration. Lots of tanginess and depth. Just what you want of a Chevalier: tension and concentration with a certain majesty. Still quite youthful but certainly promising. Fruit, with all its acidity, is just the right side of raw. Quite long. (JR)