From more then 50 year old vines in the upper reaches of this cru and a slightly younger parcel lower-down, the Girardin 2006 Meursault Perrieres delivers toasted hazelnut, orange zest, nutmeg, talcum, and chalk in the nose. Creamy, silken, and rich on the palate, it displays a knitting-together of ripe fruit with citrus, mineral, and oak inflections that most of the wines here were (as yet?) missing on the day I tasted. Partly, this is surely a matter of the impressive sheer concentration of juicy primary fruit and complex mineral character on display here. Clear, pure, and ringing in its bright citrus, this also finishes with suggestions of marzipan-, hazelnut-, orange cream- and pit fruit-filled buttered pastry, and uncanny intimations of minerality. This fine representative of a great vineyard is a candidate for at least 6-8 years bottle aging. I tasted a wide selection including all of the top crus of Vincent Girardin’s truly vast output (from nearly fifty acres of vines plus a wide range of contracts as negociant), the wines having been pre-assembled from barrel for my tasting (hence the wide point spreads). Girardin is at pains to press very gently and he did only limited lees-stirring in 2006. He favors 20, 30, and 40% new wood for his village, premier cru, and grand cru wines, respectively. Importer: Vineyard Brands, Birmingham, AL; tel. (205) 980-8802.