The 2009 Meursault Charmes is a rather large-scaled, bombastic white bursting with fruit. Here the oak is a bit more pronounced, but not necessarily out of character given the wine’s big, boisterous personality. All of the elements come together beautifully on the expansive finish. The Charmes saw 33% new barrels. Anticipated maturity: -2014+. Jacques Lardiere and Frederic Barnier showed me a wide range of 2009s during my visit in late June, 2011. Many of the jewels among the 2009s are hidden in the villages level wines, which I highly encourage readers to check out. I also tasted a selection of 2008s. The 2008s are quite fat for the year. Yields were lower than in 2009. Lardiere made the decision to age the wines longer on their lees to give them more richness, which he felt was lacking because of the inconsistent, high acid vintage. As a result, these are fairly big 2008s. Importer: Kobrand Corp., Purchase, NY; tel. (914) 253-7756