The 2018 Le Montrachet Grand Cru has turned out very well indeed, wafting from the glass with aromas of pear, citrus oil, white flowers, orange zest and warm bread, its new oak already more integrated than in Remoissenet's Batard. Full-bodied, ample and layered, it's muscular and concentrated, with fine structuring dry extract and a seamless, complete profile.

The 2013 Le Montrachet Grand Cru has a tightly wound, peppermint-tinged bouquet that takes time to unfurl. The palate is fresh on the entry with crisp acidity, not dissimilar to the Batard-Montrachet in style, building gently to an orange peel and lemongrass-tinged finish that lingers nicely in the mouth. This is a fine Montrachet if not the best example that I have tasted from barrel this vintage.

The 2012 Le Montrachet Grand Cru is bestowed with a complex, mineral-driven, quite tertiary bouquet that would hold its own in a blind Montrachet shoot-out. The palate is concentrated with a hint of licorice joining the citrus fruit, notes of walnut and ginger that fan out on the long peacocks tail finish. This is an impressive Montrachet. You may have heard of Pierre-Antoine Rovani. One of Burgundy’s most shy and retiring members, he was his usual taciturn self, uttering all but one or two words during my Sunday afternoon tasting of 2012s in Remoissenet’s 14th century cellars, just off the Beaune peripherique. You know the story here: the name reborn in 2005 when outside investors prompted a Damascene resurrection of what had fundamentally been an also-ran bottling operation, into a quality-driven concern and vinifying wines themselves. Their policy is to buy at premium in order to acquire the best fruit, except for the 2.5-hectare of vineyard that they own themselves. With general manager and former Louis Jadot president Bernard Repolt, winemaker Claudine Jobard and chef de culture Fred Le Prince (a wonderful name that sounds like a lost bassist from Funkadelic), this has been one of the region’s recent success stories. They recently purchased the cuverie at Chateau de Chorey to make the Bourgogne Rouge and Givry Village. They use “342s” as Pierre Antoine referred to them i.e. 342-litre barrels casks for vinifying most of their wines. They have a large portfolio of both domaine and negociant wines that I tasted at a leisurely pace on a Sunday afternoon. And I must say, I was impressed by their 2012s. Sure, not everything hits the spot with such a comprehensive and diverse array of wines, but the fact is that many crus showed very well. As Rovani mentioned, there is a gap in the market for affordable Burgundy, one that will surely expand as the top names become prohibitively expensive for mere mortals. That is where Remoissenet can fit in and having overhauled their reds, it sounds as if they will be working on ameliorating their whites in future years, not that they are anything to be ashamed of now. Hey, and you know what? Even Pierre-Antoine was beginning to lose his inhibition and comes out of his shell by the end of the tasting. Importers: Simon N Cellars, Charlottesville, VA; tel. (434) 977-4476, Bertin Henri Selections, Doral, FL; tel. (305) 392 6995, Cavatappi Distribuzione, Seattle, WA; tel. (206) 292 5226, Dark Star Imports, New York, NY; tel. (646) 312 8921, Arborway Imports, Lexington, MA; tel. (781) 862-0515, United Wine and Spirits, Houston, TX; tel. (713) 696-9463, D.G.L. Distributors, Northbrook, IL; tel. (847) 291- 1110, The Sorting Table, Napa, CA; tel. (707) 603-1460. Also available through Avery’s Wine Merchants in Bristol (UK).

Stunningly beautiful, the 2010 Le Montrachet (from Chassagne) boasts gorgeous aromatic nuance, beautifully delineated fruit and tons of energy. The exuberance of the fruit is nicely balanced by veins of intense underlying minerality. The Montrachet was aged in 2 350-liter barrels and one standard 228-liter barrel. The use of the larger barrels helped preserve a level of tension and pure energy that isn’t always present in the Remoissenet wines. In 2010, Le Montrachet is simply stunning. Wow. Anticipated maturity: 2014+. I was very impressed with the 2010 whites I tasted at Remoissenet this year. While most of the top wines are terrific, personally I find just as much pleasure in the many delicious offerings from humbler appellations in this extensive range. Remoissenet purchases fruit and/or wines for many of their offerings. I would not be surprised if there is less competition for the fruit/wines from those less prestigious appellations, which makes it easier to source top quality raw materials. As always, Remoissenet strives for a style built on full phenolic ripeness and harvests that are on the late side relative to most estates. My favorite wines are those where the richness of the fruit is accompanied by complementary minerality and vibrancy. I also tasted a handful of reds from Remoissenet’s Cellar Collection. These are wines that have been cellared in Remoissenet’s cellars for several decades. Prior to being re-released, the wines are decanted to remove sediment, topped up and sealed with a new cork. Importers: Simon N Cellars, Charlottesville, VA; tel. (434) 977-4476, Bertin Henri Selections, Doral, FL; tel. (305) 392 6995, Cavatappi Distribuzione, Seattle, WA; tel. (206) 292 5226, Dark Star Imports, New York, NY; tel. (646) 312 8921, Arborway Imports, Lexington, MA; tel. (781) 862-0515, United Wine and Spirits, Houston, TX; tel. (713) 696-9463, D.G.L. Distributors, Northbrook, IL; tel. (847) 291- 1110, The Sorting Table, Napa, CA; tel. (707) 603-1460

The 2009 Le Montrachet, from a parcel on the Chassagne side, is fabulous. Layers of exotic, tropical fruit flow effortlessly from this broad-shouldered, kaleidoscopic wine. There is plenty of freshness in the glass to support the fruit in this magical, captivating wine. I especially like the way this turns delicate, subtle and refined on the finish. Anticipated maturity: 2014+. This is a thrilling set of whites from Remoissenet. I have to say, I expected a little more when I tasted the 2009 reds from bottle earlier this year given the significant investments that have taken place here over the last few years. To be fair, though, I liked the 2008 reds I tasted better. But it is with these 2009 whites that the Remoissenet truly shows its potential. This is a fabulous lineup, notable for both its consistency throughout the range as well as for a number of ridiculously priced bargains. It seems pretty clear that winemaker Claudine Jobard has a special touch when it comes to whites. Readers should do whatever they can to check out the marvelous wines. Remoissenet began picking on September 20, very late by the standards of 2009. The wines are rich, ripe and sensual but not at all overdone. A number of the wines were aged partially or entirely in 350 liter barrels, which helped maintain an element of freshness. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to taste the 2010s as they were still in malo, but I did taste a handful of 2008s. Stylistically the Remoissenet wines (both white and red) tend towards the richer end of the spectrum.Importers: Simon N Cellars, Charlottesville, VA; tel. (434) 977-4476, Bertin Henri Selections, Doral, FL; tel. (305) 392 6995, Cavatappi Distribuzione, Seattle, WA; tel. (206) 292 5226, Dark Star Imports, New York, NY; tel. (646) 312 8921, Arborway Imports, Lexington, MA; tel. (781) 862-0515, United Wine and Spirits, Houston, TX; tel. (713) 696-9463, D.G.L. Distributors, Northbrook, IL; tel. (847) 291- 1110, The Sorting Table, Napa, CA; tel. (707) 603-1460