Here the nose is firmly reduced so in the unlikely event you're interested in opening a bottle right away, be sure to give it 30 minutes or so of air and decanting it would be better still. Otherwise, there is slightly better underlying energy to the rich yet nicely detailed, even precise, middleweight plus flavors that also deliver impressive length on the bitter lemon-inflected finale. While this isn't as structured as it usually is, it's still going to need close to a decade if you wish to see the '19 Bâtard at its peak.

Muscular and powerful, the 2019 Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru delivers aromas of honeyed orchard fruit, warm spices, nutmeg, almonds, nougat, orange oil and wheat toast. Full-bodied, rich and fleshy, it's ripe and concentrated, with lively acids and a long, resonant finish.- WK