The terrific 2010 Chassagne-Montrachet Morgeot Marquis de Laguiche is beautifully balanced from start to finish. It comes across as more reserved than the Folatieres, with enough acidity and overall structure to frame the fruit. As always, this is a big, broad-shouldered white that needs time in bottle to settle down. Veins of brisk, saline minerality frame the finish. This is all finesse and class. Incidentally, a recent bottle of the 2002 was fabulous. Anticipated maturity: 2014+. This is a striking set of wines from Drouhin. Veronique Drouhin describes 2010 as a year with cool temperatures in July and August, but much better weather in September. As is the case throughout the region, I found the Pulignys especially ripe and exotic. I also tasted a range of the 2011s. Drouhin told me she thought the wines would need a little extra time in barrel to give them more body and volume. Importer: Dreyfus Ashby & Co., New York, NY; tel. (212) 818-0770

The vineyards of the Marquis de Laguiche date back to before the French Revolution, and Drouhin is fully responsible for producing the wines since the 1940s. This ripe, opulent selection lives up to its illustrious pedigree. It is full bodied, and it offers vibrant acidity and minerality. It’s a wine for aging over eight years and many more. — (4/1/2013) —95

The 2009 Chassagne-Montrachet Morgeot Marquis de Laguiche is a beautifully layered wine graced with smoke, butter, hazelnuts and rich, generous fruit. This shows the broad shoulders of this part of Chassagne in its large-scaled fruit and boisterous personality. The flavors build impressively towards the boisterous, mineral-infused finish. Anticipated maturity: 2013+. I tasted the 2009s with Jerome Faure-Brac, Drouhin’s head winemaker. Interestingly, Faure-Brac chose to serve these wines a touch on the warm side, so I could observe their strengths and weaknesses more clearly. It was a high stakes move, especially in a warm vintage. I am not sure I would have had the guts to make that decision, but it speaks of great conviction….and the wines came through beautifully. The 2009 harvest began on September 21st, quite late for the year. New oak levels were down sharply, malos were blocked on a number of wines and the estate did no batonnage. The wines were racked once prior to being bottled. Importer: Dreyfus Ashby & Co., New York, NY; tel. (212) 818-0770