Like most Burgundy domaines Latour-Giraud was formed by the fusion of two families. The Latour family’s wineholding can be traced back to the French Revolution and the Giraud family’s ownership in Meursault dates back to1850. In 1958 Pierre Latour married the only daughter of Charles Giraud creating the domaine. It is now run by hisson Jean-Pierre, who I found to be one of the most honest and interesting vignerons in Burgundy.

Latour-Giraud has good sized holdings in Meursault and is the largest landowner in the Premier Cru Genevrieres.They also have the Puligny Premier Cru Champs-Canet and a little Cotes de Nuits red as well as Bourgogne.

MagnificentMeursaultThe WWines oofDomaine Latour-GGiraud2009 Whites superblyreviewed by Burghound!

Stop Press! 14 June 20112009 White Burgundy Reviews Published by

BurghoundDomaine Latour-Giraud receives Superb Reviews

What Burghound says about the 2009 Whites from Domaine Latour-Giraud...Jean-Pierre Latour told me that 2009 is an “extremely seductive vintage, especially in terms of the wonderful aromaticpurity and breadth. I began picking on the 8th of September and brought in extremely clean fruit that required virtually nosorting. Potential alcohols were strong at between 13 and 14% with an average of about 13.5%. Yields were perfectly goodbut not generous at around 40 hl/ha for the 1ers and about 50 for the villages wines. As to the wines, my take is that theyare somewhere between very good and excellent and should mature quickly yet hold well.” Latour said that he wouldprobably bottle in March while aiming for a free SO2 level of about 40 ppm. As the scores and commentaries suggest, thisdomaine is slowly but surely becoming a source of really first-class quality. The oak treatment has been materially reducedand the style of the wines has clearly been gravitating toward a more classic character. If you don’t know the wines, pick upan example or two and I believe that you will be impressed.Burghound’s notes for the wines are terrific. In a vintage that some people have incorrectly stated is too ripe it is great toread the words “minerality, intense, energetic, harmony and balance”.I new these were seriously good when I tried them in February 2011 and it is great to see Burghound agrees!The wines are on the way to Australia so the opportunity to buy a Pre-Arrival prices will soon pass.

My visit was to taste the white wines, in particular the top Premier Crus, which have received excellent reviews fromBurghound and Tanzer. The 2008’s were in bottle and the 2009’s were mostly in tank awaiting bottling in the verynear future.

The 2008 Vintage: Whilst I am a fan of the minerally, lean 2007 white burgundies it is fair to say that noteveryone agrees. Certainly those looking for shorter term pleasure often find them a little to restrained, or just simplytoo austere and acid. Tanzer describes 2008 as “Minerally too, with greater density and richness than 2007,occasionally with a glyceral or even exotic quality due to some botrytis; a thicker and more accessible version of“classic” than 2007”. Burghound says “2008 – Another Classic Vintage that is Essentially a 2007 Redux but withBetter Concentration.....2008 is more concentrated, slightly riper and will be more agreeable young.....2007 isperhaps more for the hardcore traditionalist whereas 2008 will please most enthusiasts”. So the choice is yours.

The 2009 Vintage: No doubt the 2009 whites will forever live in the shadow of the outstanding 2009 reds.Before visiting I had anticipated ripe, exotic whites but (in most cases) that was not what I tasted. In fact the purityand definition of the better wines was delightfully surprising. The wines have lower acid than in 2008 but have nolack of freshness. Dominique Lafon considers the vintage outstanding for whites. The one consensus, if there is eversuch a thing in Burgundy, is that those who picked early were able to make wines from very healthy grapes withplenty of backbone and no sur maturite .

Jean-Pierre Latour picked his 2009’s early which is his usual practice. He uses about 25% new oak for the premiercrus. From the time of picking to bottling the aim is to retain freshness and avoid the heaviness seen in many lesserMeursaults. It is worth reading Remington Norman and Charles Taylor’s description of the domaine in The GreatDomaines of Burgundy.

The tasting notes. The one thing that you will continually read in the notes is the freshness and raciness of thesewines. Latour-Giraud’s Meursault are all about drive and freshness. They are not the broad, rustic wines of oldMeursault. The scores from Burghound and Tanzer are high, in fact seriously high for Premier Cru wines. Burghoundgives many wines his “Sweet Spot” rating. I think you can read a little into the notes and comments that tells youthese wines are special. There is a pattern in most wine scribe’s ratings that seldom see Village wines rated abovePremier Cru or Premier Cru rated above Grand Cru. My experience tells me that quite a few top Premier Crus AREbetter than Grand Crus and the same applies to Villages versus Premier Crus. I can’t help thinking that if the labelsaid Grand Cru some of these wines would score even higher!

2009 Meursault Cuvee Charles MaximeUsual Price $79.50Pre-Arrival $65.00

This is a blend from seven lieu-dits the domaine owns. It is named afterJean-Pierres two grandfathers, Charles Giraud and Maxime Latour.

The 2009 wine opens with notes of ginger and spice. The palate is freshand lively. The palate is fleshy but the wine finishes with good line. Avery attractive wine for drinking now to five years.

Burghound: A mild hint of sulfur does little to knock down the freshness of the hazelnut and ripe yellow orchardfruit nose. There is better richness and volume to the solidly well-concentrated medium-bodied flavors that possessgood detail and an appealing hint of minerality on the complex and intense finish. While not at the same level as theNarvaux, this offers fine quality for its level. 87-90

Tanzer (all of his notes were made mid-2010): Slightly high-toned lemon, orange and spice aromas. At once sweetand bright, with lovely purity of fruit but a slightly lean texture. This may well flesh out with more time in oak. (Itasted the 2009 from one-year-old barrels, in order to get a more representative look at the wines that will eventuallybe bottled.) 87-89

2009 Meursault NarvauxUsual Price $85.00Pre-Arrival $72.50

Narvaux is located above the Premier Crus of Genevrieres andPoruzots. I have always thought it punched well above its weight andLatour-Giraud think so too opting to bottle their wine separately ratherthan blending it into the Cuvee Charles Maxime. Their wine comesfrom a 0.61 ha holding planted 55 years ago on the thin, poor soil andsubstratum of the site (great for minerality).

Lovely white flowers with a mineral aspect that takes the wine to another level. The wine has terrific mouthfeel anda super finish. Jean-Pierre dedicates this wine to afficionados! A super wine that is considerably better than manypremier crus.

Burghound: A slightly fresher and notably more elegant nose speaks of white flowers pear and roasted almonds thatprecede the rich, dense and utterly delicious middle weight flavors that possess really lovely intensity, balance, focusand finishing complexity. An excellent villages that is worth your attention. A Sweet Spot Wine (89-92)

Tanzer: Pale green-tinged yellow. Orange, lemon and spices on the nose, sharpened by a mineral component thatfollows through on the ripe yet dry palate. Very pure, juicy, intense wine that's quite tight today. This offers excellentpotential. 90-92

2009 Meursault 1er Cru CharmesUsual Price $115.00Pre-Arrival $99.00

The flatter site and deeper soil of Charmes produces a wine lesscharacterised by fineness than by intensity. The 2009 is the fullest andrichest of the Premier Crus we offer. It exhibits the typical hazelnut,butter characteristics with more bottom end than Genevrieres orPerrieres. A little more richness and openness but still with goodpersistence.

Burghound: An almost invisible touch of wood highlights the ever-so-slightly riper aromas of mildly exotic peach,pear, apricot and mango that introduce forward, rich, sappy, generous and very round flavors that possess goodvolume and a seductively textured mouth feel on the silky, focused and impressively intense finish. This is atextbook Charmes and worth your attention. A Sweet Spot Wine 90-93

Tanzer: Nose dominated by vanilla and spicy oak. Densely packed but full of gas and quite oak-spicy today; alreadysweet and supple but I find this hard to assess with confidence. Latour says this one still needs more work. 90-93

2009 Meursault 1er Cru GenevrieresUsual Price $125.00Pre-Arrival $99.00

In the past I have found Genevrieres the most difficult to describe of thePremier Crus. Sometimes it was perfumed, other times almost oily. It isnot full and round like Charmes, nor lean and mineral like Perrieres. Iasked Jean-Pierre to describe his Genevrieres. He described hisGenevrieres as being a wine of many nuances. Nothing dominates andeach mouthful provides another alluring and subtle aspect. Wines like this only happen when both grapes andwinemaking are exceptional.

Latour-Giraud have a large holding of 2.50 ha with the vines planted in 1951, 1972 and 1978. The vineyard namecomes from the juniper trees that grew on the site long ago.

This wine is immediately more interesting on the nose. It has white flowers, spice and citrus with really fine, longacid. It combines power with elegance and all those little nuances Jean-Pierre has mentioned. There is a lot going on.At most domaines I find the Perrieres to be the top wine but here the Genevrieres is the winner.

This is great Meursault (look at the scores!). I highly recommend this wine and would like everyone to try it. ThePre-arrival price has been kept below $100.00 to entice you!

Burghound: An airy, cool and pure nose of white flower, spiced pear, lemon and hazelnut complements the rich, fulland relatively powerful flavors that possess good concentration and an explosive, mouth coating and palate stainingfinish. This is not quite as mineral-driven as the Perrières but this is really quite impressive and the length isgenuinely outstanding. A Sweet Spot Wine 91-94

Tanzer: Sexy aromas of orange blossom and spice. Still a lot of gas here too but this is pure and harmonious, withlovely cut and intensity to the soft citrus and honey flavors. Deep and complete wine; at once solid and refined. Ifind this rather open today, even if it still has evolution ahead of it in barrel. 91-94

2009 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru ChampsCanetUsual Price $135.00Pre-Arrival $119.00

Champs Canet is located directly across the border from MeursaultPerrieres. It is something of a combination of both with the line anddrive of Puligny and nuances of Meursault. Not surprisingly the Latour-Giraud wine is subtle and racy with a nose of spice and white flowers.More delicate and restrained than the Meursaults.

Burghound: A ripe and highly expressive nose of acacia blossom, white peach and a pretty array of citrus aromasgives way to solidly rich and relatively full-bodied flavors brimming with dry extract that confers a wonderfullytextured, indeed almost chewy mouth feel onto the palate coating and naturally sweet finish. This doesn't quite havethe superb delineation of the best here but it's an excellent wine all the same. A Sweet Spot Wine 90-93

Tanzer: Peach and clove on the nose. Sweet peach and spice flavors on entry, then quite biting in the middle palatefrom the high amount of CO 2 and hard to judge today. This seems rather high in acidity for this cuvee too. Thisvery young wine may well get a longer elevage than usual, according to Latour. 91-93

2009 Meursault 1er Cru PerrieresUsual Price $180.00Pre-Arrival $149.00 (Not available individually. Limit 2 bottles as part of any mixed dozen)

Named after the underground quarry which once supplied stone forconstruction of the village. Latour-Giraud have just 14 ares from whichthey produce about 2 1/2 barrels.

Much more mineral on the nose. A classic dry, almost austere, Perrieresthat begs for time to blossom.

Burghound: This intensely mineral-driven effort features notes of wet stone, cool acacia blossom and fresh lemonaromas that are in keeping with the rich, full, energetic and beautifully complex medium-weight flavors that possessimpressive depth and power, all wrapped in a textured, detailed and silky finish that soaks the palate with dry extract.A classic Perrières of harmony and impeccable balance plus I really like the underlying sense of tension. A SweetSpot Wine 92-94

Tanzer: Orange, lemon and minerals on the nose. Fresh and gripping, almost austere, with a taut stony quality andsuperb precision of flavor. A distinctly rigorous, almost painful young Perrieres with terrific cut and energy. A veryclassic style in the context of this vintage-or any year, for that matter. 91-94

2008 Meursault Cuvee Charles MaximeUsual Price $79.50Pre-Arrival $65.00

A touch of sulphide on the nose that will appeal to many and addscomplexity. A racy style for the vintage with attractive weight and a acidfinish. A very good villages wine.

Burghound: A classic Meursault nose of hazelnut, white peach and pearcomplements rich and nicely full flavors that possess good mid-palatefat and solid volume on the racy, intense and highly energetic finish. Good if not special quality here. 86-89 Drink:2013+

2008 Meursault NarvauxUsual Price $85.00Pre-Arrival $72.50 (Not available individually. Limit 1 bottle as part of the mixed dozen)

I did not taste this wine as it had sold out. I have one case “to taste”.

Burghound: A similar yet slightly more elegant nose that is also coolermarries into the naturally sweet, rich and delicious medium-bodiedflavors that, like the Maxime, offer fine volume and mid-palateconcentration that buffers the firm acidity on the racy and intense finish. In sum, this offers a small but noticeablestep up in quality. 87-90 Drink: 2014+

2008 Meursault 1er Cru CharmesUsual Price $115.00Pre-Arrival $99.00

Lots of pear and white peach with the usual spice notes of the domaineand honeycomb of the vineyard. A slight touch of complexing sulphides.Quite a step up in weight and power from the villages wine. The wine isnot fleshy or fat and is concentrated and energetic on the finish.

Burghound: Ripe, fresh and exceptionally pretty yellow orchard fruit,spice and citrus hints introduce rich, generous, fleshy and full-bodied flavors that are solidly concentrated and moremineral-driven than usual and culminate in an intense, attractively textured and notably dry and lingering finish. Iparticularly like the lovely balance and underlying sense of tension here. 90-92 A SWEET SPOT WINE Drink:2014+

2008 Meursault 1er Cru GenevrieresUsual Price $115.00Pre-Arrival $99.00

Orange rind with a touch of pith, ginger and spice. The palate comes inwaves and finished with wonderful tight acidity. Very racy and long. Agreat Meursault which already provides serious pleasure! My pick ofthe entire offering.

Burghound: This is less expressive than the Charmes but the purity of expression is superb with its discreetly spicedlimestone-infused white pear and lemon zest aromas that are very much in keeping with the equally reserved, tightand firm middle weight flavors that evidence a fine minerality on the gorgeously detailed and persistent finish. I verymuch like this and while the finish is decidedly linear today, both the balance and the underlying material are presentto allow this to blossom in time. 91-93 A SWEET SPOT WINE Drink: 2016+

2008 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru ChampsCanetUsual Price $135.00Pre-Arrival $119.00

More Puligny race and cut. Citrus and mineral. An excellent premier cruwith a lot to offer.

Burghound: A beautifully expressive nose of notably ripe yellow fruit,white rose, spiced pear and hints of lemon introduce detailed, elegant, layered and intense flavors that are unusuallypowerful, minerally, pure and gorgeously long on the palate staining finish. This is very Puligny in character and asnoted, this is unusually ripe in the context of the vintage and while it's not presently exotic, it may develop in thatdirection with time in bottle. 90-93 A SWEET SPOT WINE Drink: 2016+

2008 Meursault 1er Cru PerrieresUsual Price $180.00Pre-Arrival $159.00(Not available individually. Limit 1 bottle1 as part of the mixed dozen)

I did not taste this wine as it had sold out. I have one case “to taste”.

Burghound: An ultra fresh and elegant white flower and citrus suffusednose possesses a copious amount of the usual stone influence that oneexpects from a classic example of Perrières combines with intense,delineated and mineral-driven flavors of striking depth and length. Thequality of the underlying material is first rate and I very much like the understated Zen-like style here and this willbe capable of many years of life. 91-94 A SWEET SPOT WINE Drink: 2016+

Mixed CaseWe’d like you to try the wines and have assembled a tiny number of Mixed Cases. There are only 4 Mixed Casesavailable so you will need to act quickly. Each case comprises 1 bottle each of the 12 different wines in this offer.Price is $1,200.00 per case. Orders confirmed upon payment.

Payment & Delivery: Your order will be confirmed upon receipt of payment. We accept Visa, MasterCard, cheque or direct deposit. Winedelivery per carton: Melbourne metro $10 flat rate. See our website for other destinations. Anticipated arrival ofthese wines is mid 2011.

Grand Millesime Pty Ltd6/40 Batman StreetWest MelbourneVic 3003Callers by appointment.Phone: (03) 9326 5737Fax: (03) 9326 6744darren@grandmillesime.com.au