What's Pressoir Drinking

by Daniel Johnnes
September 29, 2021

The advantage of having a cellar of wine that I’ve been collecting over a few decades is that it gives me the ability to revisit wines and see how they evolve over time.

This past week I revisit one of my favorite white Burgundies of recent years: Meursault Rougeot 2005 from Coche-Dury. I’ve been known to call that wine the best village level white Burgundy ever made. Yes, I can veer towards hyperbole sometimes when I get excited about a wine. But I really did believe it when I made that statement.

The first time I tasted that wine, maybe in 2009, the image that came to mind was that of a train locomotive. Not just any locomotive but that of the TGV you see in France screaming along at 250-300 km/hr. There seemed to be so much energy in this wine I could sense a current of electricity coursing through my entire body.

2005 was a rich, ripe vintage and many white and reds have a fleshy, weighty character. Coche was able to harness the power of this wine and give it a streamlined balance and elegance. Like a race horse, ready to bolt.

Well, the wine is now 16 years old and still retains the power and depth of its youth but is now displaying a more stayed maturity. The energy sparks have become more smooth and subtle. The palate has filled out with great texture. What remains the same is the depth of flavor and length one would expect from a Premier or even Grand Cru wine.

This remains in my mind, the greatest village level white Burgundy ever made. Hyperbole or not, it is a great wine!