2019 Meursault, Les Charmes Dessus, 1er Cru, Jérôme Patriarche, Burgundy

Jérôme Patriarche

Based in Meursault, a village in the Côte de Beaune region of Burgundy, Jérôme Patriarche produces white wines from Chardonnay grapes, mainly from the appellations of Meursault and Bourgogne Côte d’Or. He also makes a small amount of red wine from Pinot Noir grapes.

Jérôme Patriarche is known for his meticulous and organic approach to viticulture and vinification, respecting the terroir and the environment. He works with low yields, manual harvesting, natural yeasts, and minimal intervention in the cellar. His wines are aged in oak barrels, with moderate use of new wood, resulting in expressive, elegant, and balanced wines reflecting the character of each vineyard.

Some of Jérôme Patriarche's most acclaimed wines are:

Meursault Les Vireuils: A single-vineyard wine from a plot located above the village of Meursault, with a southeast exposure and limestone soil. This wine has a floral and fruity nose with hints of citrus, honey, and almond. The palate is fresh, mineral, and complex, with a long and creamy finish.

Meursault Les Charmes Dessus Premier Cru: A Premier Cru wine from a parcel situated in the heart of the Charmes vineyard, with a southwest exposure and clay-limestone soil. This wine has a rich and intense nose, with aromas of ripe pear, peach, vanilla, and toast. The palate is full-bodied, round, and powerful, with great depth and length.

Chardonnay

Chardonnay is often seen as the king of white wine grapes and one of the most widely planted in the world It is suited to a wide variety of soils, though it excels in soils with a high limestone content as found in Champagne, Chablis, and the Côte D`Or.

Burgundy is Chardonnay's spiritual home and the best White Burgundies are dry, rich, honeyed wines with marvellous poise, elegance and balance. They are unquestionably the finest dry white wines in the world. Chardonnay plays a crucial role in the Champagne blend, providing structure and finesse, and is the sole grape in Blanc de Blancs.

It is quantitatively important in California and Australia, is widely planted in Chile and South Africa, and is the second most widely planted grape in New Zealand. In warm climates Chardonnay has a tendency to develop very high sugar levels during the final stages of ripening and this can occur at the expense of acidity. Late picking is a common problem and can result in blowsy and flabby wines that lack structure and definition.

Recently in the New World, we have seen a move towards more elegant, better- balanced and less oak-driven Chardonnays, and this is to be welcomed.