2012 Alain Hudelot-Noellat, Richebourg Grand Cru, Bottle (750ml)

BH 95 ?Alain Hudelot's grandson Charles Van Canneyt described 2013 almost exactly the same way as he did 2012 saying that it was a ?big surprise given how challenging the growing season was. I was equally surprised not only the apparent quality of the fruit but also just how good the wines are. Perhaps the most surprising thing is just how ripe the supporting phenolics are as I never in a million years expected that. If you had seen all the rain we had for months on end you would understand why this is so amazing. We began picking on the 5th of October and the fruit was relatively clean though some sectors required more sorting than others. Though we obtained about the same quantities as we did in 2012 it was again variable with some wines producing more in 2013 and others produced less. On average I used between 20 and 25% whole clusters in the fermentations, at least for those wines that had any at all as not everything did. The malos were very late and it was interesting because it was only after they were finished you could really begin to see the true quality of the wines. I really like the style of the 2013s because of their vibrancy, freshness and purity plus they're wonderfully transparent. It's not hard to see the individual vineyard characteristics so each wine is very different.? (AM)? (January 2015)
Alain Hudelot-Noellat, Richebourg Grand Cru