How long to age Texier's M“cons?

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Saina Nieminen

Saina Nieminen
Today I got to drink Texier M“con-Bussières Très Vieilles Vignes 2007 & 2008. The '07 still seemed a bit oaky (just as it did two years ago when I last tried it) but had great structure. The '08 was tight. If the 2007 was delightfully high in acidity for a white Burgundy, this 2008 is like gargling with razorblades. Steely and painful. In a good way (I think ... at least I enjoyed it, and previously I thought I had no masochistic tendencies).

Way back in 2010 I wrote that the 2007 needs a couple more years; but I think I should say the same again. So does anyone who actually knows something about wine care to guess when these two will start to be drinkable?
 
They were beautiful, fresh and vibrant at least for the first year. Now, I'm not sure if the drinking light is off, but we are starting to wait for maturation. The hold light will stay on.
 
I never feel there's a hurry to drink them after that initial more fruit-leaning stage. My faith in both terroir and M. Texier make me inclined toward patience. Sadly, I never seem to buy deep enough for broad experimentation.
 
I loved the 2005 and 2007 and wished I'd bought more of both.
Unfortunately my bottles of the 2008 were uniformly not very good. Dark in color, very loose, already a bit oxidized. I wasn't sure what to think about this.

I am encouraged to see your note which sounds like the wine I'd have expected in this vintage. I picked these up from the same source as the '05 and '07 though, so I am puzzled.
 
Lilliputian yields, harvested late, almost 100% levrouté (botrytis affected), very high acidity, and very very late malos, this is what the vintage gave me, without make-up.
The wine was already very dark after the 15 months on lees without sulfur that I had to wait before the malos, so I decided not to sulfur at bottling.

It is a very unusual Bussières for me either. I've had bottles that I liked a lot, some more tight but none oxidized and loose so far.
I have trouble imagining a loose '08 bussières since acidity after malos was something like .8%. Maybe due to oxidation. Or Rudy??? I would be flattered ...
 
Éric, thanks for sharing some of the story with this vintage and its challenges.
After reading Otto's note I was leaning toward thinking these bottles were treated unkindly at one of the many points on its way into my cellar, resulting in oxidation. But it's anyone's guess, really.
 
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