Macon Pierreclos Tris de Chavigne, Domaine Guffens-Heynen 2012

Opening in the glass with scents of crisp but delicately honeyed orchard fruit, lemon oil and fresh pastry that are deftly framed by a touch of oak, the 2012 Mâcon-Pierreclos Tri de Chavigne is medium to full-bodied, deep and textural, with a denser, more concentrated profile than the 2013 that preceded it in this tasting, though it's underpinned by similarly tangy acids. Guffens describes the 2012 as a vintage that tended toward "over concentration," with the lowest yields they ever produced, due to frost, oidium, mildew and poor flowering, resulting in 12 hectoliters per hectare.

Very broad and open. A bit smoky on the nose. And then a bit too ripe and broad. Very ready! Quite a bit of alcohol on the end.

Here too the residual fermentation aromas make an accurate assessment impossible. By contrast there is good freshness to the suave and impressively intense medium weight flavors that possess a citrusy and bone dry finish that displays sneaky length. This is really quite good, especially for the appellation.

The 2012 Mâcon- Pierreclos Tri de Chavigne, cropped at a paltry 20 hectoliters per hectare and raised in 20% new oak for ten months, has a very outgoing bouquet with strong peach and honeysuckle scents that goes straight for the jugular. The palate is also extravagant and exotic for its class, yet it is well-balanced, packed to the rafters with flavor and succeeds in maintaining satisfactory tension to the finish. Excellent.