Producer note: Jean-Pierre Cournut noted 2021 is "one of those unexpected vintages that turned out to be much better than you originally imagined that it might be. I say that because between the frost and a difficult, wet, gray and problematic growing season, it was frankly hard to be especially optimistic. We picked from the 17th to the 23rd of September and yields were all over the place. This is to say that the pinot was not far from normal but the chardonnay got seriously hammered at around -70%. Potential alcohols were also quite varied at between 12.2 and 13.6%. I vinified pretty much as always as the pinot was ripe and clean so there wasn't really any reason to do otherwise. Even so, I wasn't expecting anything special yet the quality is really quite good and moreover, in both colors." I would agree with Cournut as 2021 is indeed a fine vintage for him and, as he correctly notes in my view, in both colors. With that said, while the reds are certainly lovely, several of his whites are absolutely brilliant, in particular the Bâtard, La Dent de Chien and La Romanée. Cournut noted that the 2021 whites were bottled at the end of October 2022. (Frederick Wildman, www.frederickwildman.com, NY, Jeanne-Marie de Champs, www.ds-collection.com, NY, Wine House, www.winesf.com, CA, both USA; Enotria Winecellars Ltd, www.enotria.co.uk, UK; The Fine Wine Experience, www.finewineexperience.com, Hong Kong, China; Domaine Wine Cellars, www.domaine.com.tw, Taiwan).
Tasting note: An overtly floral-suffused and more expressive nose freely offers up elegant aromas of white orchard fruit, zest and a touch of spice. There is again excellent mid-palate density to the pretty middleweight flavors that exude evident minerality on the powerful, focused and superbly long finale. This is lovely and a wine that should generously repay extended cellaring.