Somewhat surprisingly, this is less elegant than the Corton-Charlemagne but the aromatic profile is broader, with notes of lemon zest, spice, white flower and ripe orchard fruit that is in keeping with the rich, full and equally ripe broad-shouldered flavors that possess plenty of taut muscularity and drive, all wrapped in a powerful and stunningly long finish. An explosive wine with terrific cellar potential that should improve for up to a decade.

From purchased fruit, the Drouhin 2007 Batard-Montrachet leads with musky, animal notes and high-toned citrus oil highly reminiscent of the 2006 rendition. Lushly-fruited, oily-textured, and expansive, its persistent salinity and piquancy of toasted nuts help restrain and set-off its generosity of citrus and pit fruits and a savory segue between mineral and carnal notes lends intrigue to a long finish. Predictably for its site, this lacks the refinement or uncanny lift and complexity of the corresponding Meursault Perrieres, but it is far more interesting than many a Batard. I imagine it being best drunk over the next 5-7 years, and given its showing today, there is no need to wait. Veronique Drouhin-Boss expressed enormous – and, in my view, justifiable – satisfaction with the 2007 crop of Drouhin whites, admitting that their sense of concentration might strike some observers as paradoxical given the vintage’s relatively high yields. Regular batonnage seems to have been a successful policy here, at least as judged by flattering textures and overt richness (almost atypically so for the vintage) short-term. For an account of Drouhin’s Chablis from 2007, consult the separate report on that region in this issue. Importer: Dreyfus-Ashby & Co., New York, NY; tel. (212) 818 0770

Ripe peach-and-butter aromas come across as much sweeter than those of the Corton-Charlemagne or Meursault Perrieres. Then smoother and more pliant in the mouth, with fruit in the foreground. Finishes with noteworthy persistence. This has been racked.