I adored the precision, purity, & vibrancy of the lemon-soaked minerals found in the 1997 Chevalier-Montrachet’s aromatics. It is magnificent wine, combing refinement with power, as well as precision with richness. This medium-to-full-bodied, silky-textured, compelling offering regales the palate with grilled pears, chalk, & an expansive minerality. It has the density & ripeness characteristic of the 1997 vintage, yet the focus & brightness of 1996 – a rare achievement. Projected maturity : 2002 – 2010. (Robert Parker, The wine Advocate#123, Jun 1999, 92-94 Pts)
Pale, copper-tinged yellow-gold. Slightly roasted aromas of peachy fruit salad, crystallized citrus peel and honey, plus a suggestion of redcurrant. Thick on the palate but with a bitter streak running through the middle of the wine and giving it a dusty, slightly edgy finish. Seems a bit simple, if not flat. A second bottle showed a slightly healthier color and a less extreme but still lightly roasted aroma of ripe apricot. While the middle palate offered considerably more energy, this was still a bottle of limited dimension. Flavors of crystallized fruits and honey suggest an element of surmaturité. Finishes with some alcoholic warmth and a dusty note of herbs. This rather phenolic wine appears to be past its peak. (13.95% alcohol; 3.17 pH; made from a very warm harvest, beginning on September 15; Domaine Leflaive did not pick particularly late, but the grape sugars in Chevalier-Montrachet soared in the last three days) Drinking window: 2019-2023 (Stephen Tanzer, Apr 2019, 91 Pts)
