After drinking my way through the 2008's, I continued with my master plan and went on to taste the 2007's.
Macon-Uchizy, Les Maranches
Classic Chardonnay, classic white B., with dried grass and so much citrus fruit on the nose that a more poetic man than I might compare this to a walk in an orchard. Very savory on the palate with just a hint of sweetness tempered by a mouth-filling bang and a saline finish. Coarser than the 2008 and less of a revelation - which I'm willing to concede might just be a case of anti-climax. (Jan. 12, 2011)
Macon-Chardonnay, Clos de la Crochette
Here the citrus fruit is pungent enough on the nose to suggest the skins and it is complemented by flint and dried grass. Hold on - there's plenty of green apples as well as, later, a gorgeous blast of orange blossom. The palate is shapely, with a mineral cut and just a little roundness, which emerges with air, that is useful to combat the initial bitter astringency. Food also helps. This is fun and interesting, but, again, lacks a bit of the 2008 magic, except maybe on the nose. (Feb. 24, 2011)
Milly-Lamartine, Clos du Four
Continues along the same lines as the Macon-Chardonnay, but with a little bit more of everything that wine had to offer. The aromatics have a greater definition, all the while letting the flint flirt with the citrus fruit and thus create a complex interaction. The palate has a magical balance, airy elegance and savoriness that made me fall for the 2008's. The magic fades after the bottle has been open for an hour, but in this case, I feel that the first impression is the definitive one. (Mar. 6, 2011)
The first two wines cost 140 NIS, the Macon-Lamartine 150 NIS.
I have to admit that until I opened the Clos du Four, I was starting to fret that maybe I was initially too enthusiastic about Les Heritiers. But the Clos du Four reaffirmed my faith: this is careful, sometimes inspired, wine-making applied to terroir that "lacks" class only in comparison to its illustrious brethren up north. But judging by what it can achieve within its best plots, if it were located elsewhere in the world, there'd be a real estate boom in the Macon vineyards.
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