Slight smoke plays on the creamy nose of this wine, with a hint of fresh oatmeal. The palate carries that smoky allure throughout its understated, rounded richness, expressed in a cushioned texture of concentration, yeast and creaminess, framed by lemon freshness. It has inherent, unforced balance and a long, stony, creamy and chalky finish. ANNE KREBIEHL MW

(91-93 points) (from fruit picked on September 2): Bright, pale lemon-yellow color. Tangy Perrieres perfume of musky fresh pineapple, lemon, crushed rock and wild herbs, complicated by a hint of tropical fruits. At once wonderfully fresh and creamy, communicating terrific mineral definition to its flavors of pineapple and crushed stone. A bit monolithic but powerful in the early going, and linear in a positive way, finishing with a light touch. This wine will need further elevage as well as at least a few years of bottle aging to put on some more flesh; today it's more about sheer mineral grip and length. But Bitouzet noted that it really hasn't yet been racked to air. Am I underestimating this wine's potential? (13+% potential alcohol) - By Stephen Tanzer on June 20i8