Meursault 1er cru Les Poruzots

Raphael GIMENEZ-FAUVETY ‘s tasting notes – Retailer ; “De Corps et d’Esprit” in Paris

Robe sits somewhere between very light gold and the colour of bright lime juice. Nose of refined limestone minerality, almost like a Chablis; pure air and a green environment; a torrent of water; delicate spring flowers, each more elegant than the next; a clear morning where you can easily see Mont Blanc; white fruits such as peach, pear and grape; subtle aromas of violet now, evoking the high ground of Puligny; limestone, as fine as always; evolving towards duck eggshell and langoustine shell; other fruits try to make themselves heard – pineapple, Menton lemon and grapefruit, orange; a haze of fresh white pepper; coolness; and a hint of root ginger, a bunch of chervil straight out of the ground; plenty of class and elegance.
A silky mouthfeel, loaded with fruit; coulis that trickles delicately onto the palate; a constant pleasure; citrus fruits have increased in intensity – orange, especially, followed by grapefruit and lemon, the perfect acidity of a Granny Smith; kiwi, mandarin, white peach and vine peach, guava; ginger somewhere between root and pickled; pickled celery; a sophisticated mixture of flavours.
A superb, never-ending finish; the ripeness of the harvest and the perfection of the maturation process; the wine evolves constantly; extraordinary focus, pointed, tapered; tense, but without the slightest aggressiveness; ground white pepper, ginger powder, white fruits, citrus fruits and limestone minerality together form a magnificent coherence that leaves the taster with a lingering feeling of perfect harmony; a Poruzots of the highest order.
After five or six years, pair with pan-fried langoustines or baked spiny lobster; after eight or nine, we can envisage a roasted line-caught sea bass with celery puree and baby turnips; fish rather than white meat. 95+

Raphael GIMENEZ-FAUVETY ‘s tasting notes – Retailer ; “De Corps et d’Esprit” in Paris

No doubt, this is the most marine of the range this year; it starts strong – you feel like you’re right there on the seashore in Normandy or in Pas-de-Calais; shingles, seaweed, Fine de Claire oysters and, if you dare, abalone; moss clinging to rocks. In apparent contradiction, then follows a world of vegetal complexity and fruits that are difficult to describe; skin, bark, juice where sweetness and bitterness overlap, dried vegetables, and more dried vegetables that have been allowed to soak, lentils, chickpeas, cornflour, but also mushrooms, leather, the scent of white truffle, of white chocolate, fresh pasta and melted cheese; surf and turf, dry and wet, sweet and bitter; a Poruzots of very great complexity that should be paired with the most gastronomic of dishes.
The palate is both loaded with fruit and a powerful expression of the soil; pear, apple, a touch of quince, Mirabelle plum, yellow peach.
The finish is tense, intense – this intensity is high, focused, powerful; a demonstration of the empyreumatic force of the limestone subsoil; we feel the presence of sand in the length and a return to the marine – very ‘seafood’ flavours closing the loop. Based on the description above, and after laying down for at least five years, a surf ’n’ turf dish, such as lobster and chicken cooked in a sealed casserole should be sensational.

Raphael GIMENEZ-FAUVETY ‘s tasting notes – Retailer ; “De Corps et d’Esprit” in Paris

The same immediate feeling as for the Tillets – we know immediately, from the first nose, that this is a winner … The triumphant limestone of Poruzots is ever present; it sparkles; it is expressed wholeheartedly, bright, sure of itself; all in all, the most obvious fruit to mention is the grape – even if apple and pear are lying in ambush; grape and limestone, light and verticality – these are the characteristics of the cru, and they are particularly evident in this vintage that has drawn on the minerality of the soil like never before (even if from 2017 to 2019 Burgundy produced a series of ‘extracted’ vintages). Next to this winning foundation, we can add notes of wax, and white truffle springs to mind, and extremely fresh churned butter; there’s Comice pear to be found too, and Granny Smith. Discreetly empyreumatic, between a match striker and gunpowder that has been carefully inserted into the rock. Tiny hint of pineapple.
Much fruitier on the palate than the nose; pears and apples can finally spring to the fore; and the apricot that is everywhere is not left out; there’s banana here too, still not from yeast but a flavour that belongs to the vintage; a lot of flesh for a Poruzots; a lot of generosity.
A ‘fruity’ finish – incredible but true; a fruity Poruzots is not a common occurrence but, rest assured, the limestone ends up taking its rightful place when we consider the length and persistence; it takes first place.

Raphael GIMENEZ-FAUVETY ‘s tasting notes – Retailer ; “De Corps et d’Esprit” in Paris

Light gold robe with marked green highlights. The first nose immediately puts the taster in direct contact with the limestone base – fresh rock over which the water from a mountain stream that must be nearby has passed; there’s clarity, purity, lavender, chervil and even lemongrass and coriander. Still mineral and vertical, Poruzots has rarely attained such luminous radiance, such freshness – rejuvenating! After aeration, the second nose shows white peach underpinned by vine peach, fresh grapes, coconut, Conference pear and a pristine white landscape. The palate is brimming with juicy white fruits – peaches and pears, and citrus fruits are present – lime, grapefruit and clementine; a superb expressive acidity gradually takes hold of the palate; super tasty with great energy, a great dynamic; the matter expands – intense but with an exciting, refined elegance. The flavours from maturation are the last to appear – an ‘ideal’ oaky flavour that marries wonderfully with the subtle dried fruit from the dry matter of the vintage, an almond–hazelnut–pine nut trio, a turmeric–icing sugar duo, and finally, the extremely discreet lactic elements along with notes of rice pudding or custard; freshness, minerality and elegance – a really great Poruzots. The precision of the finish is magnificent – citrus fruits and rock come together to offer us a coherent whole that is difficult to achieve consistently. A stunning success. During tasting, you may experience quick flashes that bring to mind a sublime Sancerre on a limestone base, a great Chassagne from the high slopes of the area, or even a Clos Sainte-Hune version of a Grand Cru Rosacker.

Raphael GIMENEZ-FAUVETY ‘s tasting notes – Retailer ; “De Corps et d’Esprit” in Paris

The roots’ quick access to the rock clearly shows that the muted and powerful notes of metal evoked elsewhere are the by-product of the way the clay has experienced the vintage, not so here, where it is, next to a new mountain of dried fruit, the spicy side restored by the rock that is the obvious choice. You said dried fruits: almonds, hazelnuts, pine nuts, and even, hold on to something, dried vegetables, coral lentils, Tarbais, flageolets, don’t laugh, it’s all there. The wine gains a lot of fruit from the air, pineapple, between marmalade and clementine, you have a hint of apricot, and then, barley sugar and of course, crêpe Suzette, finally violet, resin, sap, eucalyptus and fresh laurel. The mouth is well balanced, a beautiful fruit with mirabelle plums, yellow peach, ripe roasted pear with its seeds, marmalade. It is powerfully nourishing and finally very spicy, peppers, ginger root, cooked. Despite an unusual substance, the wine finishes with great rigidity, precision and superlative length.

Raphael GIMENEZ-FAUVETY ‘s tasting notes – Retailer ; “De Corps et d’Esprit” in Paris

Up to this point, all the wines were delivered with a lot of aromatic generosity, the Poruzot is more secretive, more vertical, more set in its limestone rock soil. A serious wine that strongly reminds me of the spirit of Perrières with a metallic side between lead and steel, already seen in the Meix Chavaux. A hint of new leather precedes one of vanilla then the eucalyptus hits, followed by the fresh mint, the chervil, the fresh ginger and a spicy note somewhere between clove and cardamom, let’s add sea salt too. The palate is stronger than the nose with pear, white peach and Rennet apple, however, Poruzot remains powerfully mineral with a straight finish, full of tension, super precise and again, with a breathtaking length. A Poruzots for lovers of Perrières and Charlemagne.

Raphael GIMENEZ-FAUVETY ‘s tasting notes – Retailer ; “De Corps et d’Esprit” in Paris

The vintage is almost exclusively made up of the vines from the top of the plot, the lower part having lost more than 80% of its potential at the end of April. Fine herbs, chervil and coriander, a pollen-icing sugar-mimosa-come-peppermint mix, eucalyptus, grass, white fruits. On the palate we have yellow plum and damson plum, a hint of marmalade and a slight note of apricot jam, crepe Suzette, the soil’s energy and rock come out mostly at the end, very straight as it should be.
After some breathing, the wine is more mineral than ever, concentrated soil with a lasting feeling of cleanliness, purity, brightness. You can feel the rock, limestone slab, marble, violet, white pepper, match scraper, sneeze powder, gum-ricqles-cardamom, verging on green pepper. The palate comes alive with the quality of its torrential water, great richness of flavour with citrus, guava and grapefruit, with a finish as straight as an I, precise, great length, leaves behind a fresh palate, invigorated, rejuvenated.

Raphael GIMENEZ-FAUVETY ‘s tasting notes – Retailer ; “De Corps et d’Esprit” in Paris

Once again, the encounter with this vintage perfectly accompanies the Poruzot which, if it takes a (short) trip to the South, still stops in the Meursault region to display a hint of Perrières. The nose is decidedly robust with assertive notes of chalk, white flowers, violet, airy and mineral at the same time, heaven and earth, peppers, liquorice stick, resin, accurate and vertical. Juicy and tasty on the palate, the retro-olfaction is dense but precise, lots of fruit, apple-pear-grape, great longevity, very fine bottle.

Raphael GIMENEZ-FAUVETY ‘s tasting notes – Retailer ; “De Corps et d’Esprit” in Paris

A colour with green reflections, very translucent, a nose like the previous one, but with more charm. The white fruit are more assertive, Williams pear, Belle de Boskoop apples, delicate and very elegant, fresh herbs, cold butter-petit suisse-crème fraîche, there are dry fruit (pine nut-hazelnut), there are white fruit (pear-apple-grape), there are citrus fruit (lemon-lime-kiwi), everything is suggested, but true complexity is being created. The mouth is more dominated by citrus fruit, very concentrated substance, spicy-peppery, almost a chilli effect, less sturdy than the wine from the village, there is proportionally more fruit. The finish is very long, tense, precise, pays homage to the Poruzots soil, impressively persistent.

Raphael GIMENEZ-FAUVETY ‘s tasting notes – Retailer ; “De Corps et d’Esprit” in Paris

This is one of the most complete wines of the range during my tasting, the other two being Goutte d’Or and the Old Vine Meursault Charmes. From fruit peel we move on to fruit jelly. A more sophisticated nose of limestone, white fruits, white flowers, praline. The palate brings some sensuality, for the first time since the start of the tasting. Grape jam, apricot jelly, Mirabelle jelly. On the palate, the juice is much more expressive with powerful notes of citrus, passion fruit (2008), kiwi, orange/blood orange, a touch of praline and creamed coffee. A complete, coherent wine, full of life and energy in the mouth.

Nose of pastry, egg yolk, concentrated, difficult to describe. With prolonged aeration, it becomes very mineral, sand, limestone, lead and cast-iron, a powerful rush of water, the Gironde in Pauillac for example, dense honey, lavender, vinous, one almost wants to dilute with water like with a fine whisky, somewhat the antithesis of 2011. Savory on the palate, honey, butter, vanilla, poundcake with English cream, lots of wine in this bottle.

Very mineral nose, without a doubt.  Always this unexpected blend of dried fruit, meat and citrus.  Wax, rosin, white chocolate and sweetbread, with a touch of mushroom (boletus).  The generous body in the wine adds a comforting component on the palate, there is a real richness, a real chewiness, again cream, meat and citrus, you can drink and eat this wine.  The danger for the amateur is to miss the great complexity in this wine, because of how comfortable it is to taste, it is so welcoming, that I bet many will not make the effort to seek further and will be simply happy with this wine’s immediate satisfaction.

Nose of chalk, grapes, fine herbs, violet, lilac, fresh mint, a linear sensation again greater than expected.  The palette has a closed framework, very spicy grape, lots of juice, a note of guava, passion fruit, the wine is endless in its finish.  The essence of 2010 is marvellously befitted by this great Poruzots.  93-95.

The nose of the wine has allure, it’s fresh, white fruits, cilantro and coriander, a wink toward Genevrières, complex white flowers and fruits, honeys from diverse origins, a note of smokiness, powdered sugar, vanilla Bourbon, pastry, loukhom (Turkish candy), very Meursault.  Palette of fresh fruits, nourishing, very beautiful balance and considerable length, a superb Poruzots.

Chalkier nose, we come back to earthy notes, as for the Village, with an almost certain evolution toward mushrooms and white truffle.  Lactic note of lassi, eggshell, freshly mowed lawn, complex plant life between herbs and flowers, acacia and acacia honey.  Palette with flesh, lots of fruit, pears and apples, fleshy, energetic, tense, direct, and intense.

The MEURSAULT PORUZOTS exalts praline, dried fruits; it is floral and airy, finishes directly and intensely with voluptuousness from beginning to end.