A densely fruited and layered nose of white flowers, mandarin orange and ripe yellow orchard fruit aromas is trimmed in discreet but not invisible oak. The rich, powerful and impressively concentrated broad-shouldered flavors brim with plenty of dry extract on the almost painfully intense, persistent and mouth coating finish. This is a big but attractively stylish Bâtard that combines a sleek muscularity with admirable refinement. Note that this will need a few years of cellar time first as it's quite tight at present.

The 2012 Batard-Montrachet Grand Cru comes from two parcels of vines, the earliest planted in the 1930s. It is more expressive at this early stage than its peers, offering peach skin and nectarine fruit, fine mineralite and tension. The palate is powerful like the Criots-Batard-Montrachet, packed with pithy fruit and touches of granite on the finish. Very fine – but just five barrels this year. The reds were all in barrel when we met. - Neal Martin