Bâtard Montrachet, Domaine Ramonet 2013

**Note: from a .7 ha parcel in Puligny**
As is often the case with this wine when it's young it is a good deal less expressive than the BBM as the backward nose only grudgingly gives up aromas of acacia blossom, white peach and mildly exotic apricot and lychee nut nuances that are also trimmed in discreet wood. There is superb richness to the impressively concentrated and opulent broad-shouldered flavors that possess an admirable reserve of dry extract that serves to buffer the firm core of ripe acidity on the hugely powerful and almost painfully intense finale. Like the BBM this is very much built-to-age and is going to require at least a decade to be at its best.

The 2013 Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru from Jean-Claude Ramonet wafts from the glass with a lovely nose of buttered orchard fruit, pastry cream, a subtle touch of smoky reduction and a gentle framing of new oak. On the palate, the wine is glossy, full-bodied and penetrating, with succulent acids, superb breadth and a detailed, lingering finish. The Ramonet Bâtard can sometimes be quite massive, brooding and introspective, but the 2013 is comparatively supple and giving rendition, which is already quite approachable, especially after half an hour in the decanter. 2018 - 2026