Latour- 2004 Vintage update for whites Edited by Darryl Beeson The 2004 harvest began on September 13th in Burgundy proper, the Maconnais,  as well as the Cote Chalonnaise. The temperatures revived before harvest,  undoing some of the damage from summer's instability. Insult to injury,  hailstorms were a problem. The current release (2004) Burgundian white wines  manage to please, while the 2004 red Burgundies fall short of the vibrant, sun-drenched 2003 vintage of red Burgundies, now in current release. A good  rule-of-thumb is to go with the top houses, such as Louis Latour, in a  challenging vintage. Most every producer succeeds in a good vintage. All  pricing is US$ retail based upon first release purchase. Prices could be  higher down the road.   Simonnet-Fevre Cremant de Bourgogne 2004 Price $15 Rating 90 Crisp, toasty whole wheat bread, complex mineral all within a long length on the palate. This is an example of the under-utilized, "poor man's" Champagne. The blend is 60% Chardonnay and the rest Pinot Noir.   Simonnet-Fevre Chablis (A.C.) 2004 Price $20 Rating 90 The entry is soft with ripe fruit with a slight edge of crispness, complex mineral and lemon zest, all within a long length. Simonnet-Fevre was purchased by Maison Louis Latour in 2003.   Simonnet-Fevre Chablis, 1er Cru "Vaillons" 2004 Price $25 Rating 90 Vaillons is situated on the left bank of the Sereine River, usually resulting in more complexity. The sip presents elements of dried tropical fruit, limestone/mineral aspects within a good length upon the palate.   Maison Louis Latour Beaune A.C. 2004 Price $22 Rating 89 The sip begins with dried apple, maybe quince, then lemon zest, delicate spice, followed by mineral in the good length on the palate.   Maison Louis Latour Meursault A.C. 2004 Price $29 Rating 92 Aromas of cooked apple and lemon peel are followed by flavors of citrus/lemon, cooked oats and a dab of butter. Meursaults tend to mature a bit earlier than the nearby communes of Puligny or Chassagne.   Maison Louis Latour Puligny-Montrachet A.C. 2004 Price $36 Rating 87 The nose shows elements of lemon curd, then herbal, and then mineral complexities. The sip is overly soft, not exactly "nervous" with thin-ness in the middle, then lemon peel in the finish.   Maison Louis Latour Chassagne-Montrachet A.C. 2004 Price $37 Rating 92 The sip begins with pear and dried tropical fruit laced with bright citrus, ripe melon, and mineral within the good length. It begins a dance upon your palate.   Maison Louis Latour Meursault-Blagny "Chateau de Blagny" 1er Cru, 2004 Price $42 Rating 86 Soft entry defines the rest of the experience. One suspects that this work-horse of a winelist wine selection was whipped beyond recognition to maintain placements and shelf space, as it is normally much more impressive.   Maison Louis Latour Meursault "Goutte d'Or" 1er Cru 2004 Price $58 Rating 92 The soft, delicate entry shows hints of lemon curd, oats, light butter, then dried apricot or peach complexities in the relatively long length.   Maison Louis Latour "Les Folatieres" Puligny-Montrachet 2004 Price $75 Rating 94 It begins with dried tropical fruit, laced with exotic spice. Then comes mineral, lemon grass and a bit of bitter lemon peel.   Maison Louis Latour "Morgeot" Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru, 2004 Price $58 Rating 96 The nose presents delicate citrus and light oak. The sip is rich and complex, painting the palate with dried tree fruit, fig, lemon zest and layers of mineral within the long length.   Maison Louis Latour "Cailleret" Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru, 2004 Price $60 Rating 95 The nose exhibits dried fig and exotic spice. The sip is chewy, like nougat, with roasted almond, and mineral (especially limestone) all within the long length.   Maison Louis Latour Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru 2004 Price $98 Rating 95 The nose begins with dried fig, then Moroccan preserved lemon. The sip is complex, still delicate, painting the palate with exotic lemon, cooked oats, light butter, nougat, and then mineral.   Maison Louis Latour Batard-Monrachet Price $240 Rating 92 The sip begins with roasted nuts, mineral complexity, dried tropical fruit, all within the medium-to-good length. This white wine will improve with age, showing complex floral and more weight upon the palate. For more great wine suggestions, click here Do you have any questions, comments or suggestions? Email: jwdineline@aol.com Copyright © 1998 Inter Active Media Solutions. All Rights Reserved. The interactive components of this site require that you use a current browser version of Explorer; be sure to maximize your window out so you can see the entire page. This page was created by Inter Active Media Solutions.