Meursault

Our 2017 Meursault comes from a selection of vineyards from across the village, including the well-regarded Murgers de Monthélie and Les Clous. Raised completely in oak barrels to give smoky aromas and the hallmark buttered toast notes of classic Meursault, this wine has broad shoulders and rich stone-fruit flavours which are complemented by a racy, saline finish.
Adam Bruntlett, Wine Buyer

Grands Charrons sits at the same height as the village’s Premiers Crus but faces more to the east. The wine is beautifully aromatic in 2017, floral with a hint of honey and a fine, ripe entry to the palate, although still with plenty in reserve. Drink 2022-2028.

The harvest started on 30th August in Cailleret and Charmes, and was finished by 9th September. The Pinot Noir and Chardonnay flowered in warm weather at the same time but, while the Pinot loved the heat, Chardonnay did not, with the resulting coulure and millerandage restricting yields to around 50hl/ha. Jean-Baptiste looked to get texture into his wines with skin contact and an extended fermentation rather than through bâtonnage, seeking to capture as much of the vital balancing freshness as possible.

At 1.5 hectares, this is the domaine’s largest holding of Chardonnay, from a site between the village and the Santenots vineyards. The nose offers some spicy vanilla oak (20 percent new) along with white stonefruit touches. The palate has a charming balance of broad stone-fruit and intense freshness which is driven by a persistent acidity running from start to finish. Elegant for a low-slope Meursault. Drink  2021-2027.

François is keen to highlight the importance of the solidarity shown by the Côte’s vignerons at the end of April, when everyone came together to burn dampened bales and create cloud cover to ward off the frost. Without such action this could well have been another catastrophic yield. Having avoided this threat, the rest of the season was fairly straightforward with careful vineyard management and harvest began on the 30th August. He feels the whites are a mix of 2015 and 2014, while the reds are pretty and will drink well from an early age.

The nose here is closed with a little lime verbena peeping out from in amongst the smoky reduction. Always the most austere of the domaine’s white wines, the immediate impression is acidity, along with lemon and lime. Sleek, precise and saline, this is tight and closed but will gain in breadth. Drink 2022-2028.

François is keen to highlight the importance of the solidarity shown by the Côte’s vignerons at the end of April, when everyone came together to burn dampened bales and create cloud cover to ward off the frost. Without such action this could well have been another catastrophic yield. Having avoided this threat, the rest of the season was fairly straightforward with careful vineyard management and harvest began on the 30th August. He feels the whites are a mix of 2015 and 2014, while the reds are pretty and will drink well from an early age.

Olivier Leflaive took over management of the  vineyard in 2016, a site and wine which elicits genuine excitement from Franck. The walled vineyard is situated in the village on heavier soil, which provides classic Meursault breadth, while the Leflaive style ensures that the finish is mineral and precise. Welljudged oak adds some toast and grip. Drink 2022-2027.

After studying at business school, Olivier Leflaive headed to Paris to live a rather bohemian life during the 1970s, working in music and television. He returned to Burgundy in 1981 to manage Domaine Leflaive with his uncle Vincent and later his cousin Anne-Claude. Having long aspired to work for himself, he set up his own négociant business in 1984 and, upon leaving the family domaine a decade later, he gave 15 years’ notice that he would take back his share of the family vines from 2009. Experienced winemaker Franck Grux now makes between 85 and 90 different cuvées, vinifying the equivalent of 120 hectares, of which 17 are estate. The focus here is on elegance and finesse over power. 

Franck emphasised the importance of removing excess shoots and buds on the vine early in the season to ensure yields did not become excessive, a practice he encouraged his growers to follow. The results are evident in the wines, which display wonderful concentration and texture, generosity in the mid-palate, precise, direct fruit and a sapid acidity. The excellent natural balance of the wines made vinification relatively straightforward and has yielded wines which Franck describes as “serious” and, in many respects, comparable to the 2014s. Unless otherwise stated, all wines are domaine.

With only around 15 to 20 percent of the crop lost to frost, Jean-Philippe is delighted with this cuvée . A relatively sunny site with vines planted in 1928, there are classic Meursault aromas of fresh butter and stone fruit. There’s a floral note too, thanks to the lovely sunny clay soil. The cooler 2016 vintage certainly suits this site. Drink 2021-2027.
Adam Bruntlett, Burgundy Buyer

Fichet’s big step forward came in 2000 when he moved the whole operation to splendid cellars at Le Creux du Coche by the Hôpital de Meursault. Jean-Philippe is looking for purity in his wines. He deals mostly with lieux-dits in Meursault with just one Premier Cru in Puligny. Constantly experimenting and refining, his wines have real definition and individuality, with the individual terroirs clearly exposed. The wines are raised in barrel for the first year, using larger demi- muids for the lesser appellations, then assembled in tank. A maximum of 30 percent new oak is used on any cuvée. It is hard not to be infected by Jean- Philippe’s enthusiasm and positivity. Despite being 40 percent down in 2016, he remained upbeat, explaining that he sees the variability of vintages as part and parcel of a vigneron ’s lot. The losses could have been much worse, but the domaine is equipped with candles which protect against frost and they work hard in the vines to keep grass low to reduce the risk of frost damage. He declared himself happy with the quality, but feels it is a vintage which will require patience on the part of the consumer, as many of the wines will be more austere in youth than those of 2015.

Raised 50/50 in 600ltr and 228ltr barrels, with 15% new oak. Pale lemon in colour, the initial nose has much promise, with a lovely touch of noble reduction. A blend of Casse Têtes and Petits Charrons, the palate has an enjoyable chewiness and a touch of peach fruit. There is lovely weight here, nice volume and texture in the mouth, but with tension and nervy freshness. Drink 2019-2024.  
Adam Bruntlett, Wine Buyer

The Genevrières is a more restrained expression of Meursault, with a definite citrus profile to the fruit and a tightly wound, mineral core. The finish is saline, with iodine notes. A cerebral wine with sizzling energy, it’s invigorating. Drink 2022-2028.
Adam Bruntlett, Burgundy Buyer

The Bouzereau clan is widespread in the village of Meursault, with Domaine Michel Bouzereau at the forefront. Jean-Baptiste Bouzereau, Michel’s son, is now in sole charge. He moved to a purpose-built winery in 2009 which has made the winemaking a great deal easier to manage and has enabled Jean-Baptiste to refine his style towards greater purity as well as more substance. The wines are racked after 11 months, with the better village Meursaults and all the Premiers Crus being returned to barrel for additional ageing, before bottling early the following year. Jean-Baptiste explained that frost was more of a problem in the lower-lying Grands Charrons vineyard than Tessons and the Premiers Crus which sit on the slope. Overall he is around a third down on a normal year, mainly in the lesser appellations. Harvest began on 22nd September for the whites, and took place in good conditions. He feels that 2016 is a vintage which will appeal to Burgundy lovers, and one which shows each terroir with great clarity.

A cuvée which has been moved over from the Château de Puligny, and Brian explained that he took the decision to retain more lees than in its previous guise, resulting in a wine with more body and a more reductive aromatic profile. Raised 50/50 in 600ltr and 228ltr barrels, there is wonderful density here and significant mineral complexity. Drink 2020-2025.
Adam Bruntlett, Wine Buyer

This is also a blend of two vineyards: Casse-Têtes (east of Les Tillets) and Murger de Monthélie, on the northern border of the appellation. This is always a richer wine, and is also more restrained and compact. It has great length and classic Meursault style, with some butter and creamy notes. Drink 2020-2025.
Adam Bruntlett, Burgundy Buyer

The Javilliers have been involved in the wine business for generations as courtiers. When Patrick started out in 1974 this was the main source of his income, alongside which he worked three hectares of vineyards. His courtier days are now long behind him, and his domaine covers nine hectares. Recently, Patrick has been joined by his daughter Marion and her brother-in-law Pierre- Emmanuel Lamy. Patrick is not far away from 50 vintages; Marion is now making the estate’s red wines, and Pierre-Emmanuel largely does the whites – not that Patrick is taking a back seat. As always, conversation with him is peppered with observations; indeed he has been closely involved in the discussions to create a new generic Côte d’Or appellation, a move that would appear to now just need a rubber stamp. There wasn’t too much frost damage here and harvesting began on 20th September; Patrick observes that the character of the vintage is one that can take a bit more bâtonnage than usual.

Bitouzet-Prieur’s holding covers just 0.2 hectares,  in two parcels which straddle the vineyard road between Charmes-Dessus and Charmes-Dessous.  The nose is tight and closed initially but opens to reveal delicate stone-fruit and a hint of creamy oak. The palate unfurls slowly, like a blooming flower.  Drink 2022-2030.

François is keen to highlight the importance of the solidarity shown by the Côte’s vignerons at the end of April, when everyone came together to burn dampened bales and create cloud cover to ward off the frost. Without such action this could well have been another catastrophic yield. Having avoided this threat, the rest of the season was fairly straightforward with careful vineyard management and harvest began on the 30th August. He feels the whites are a mix of 2015 and 2014, while the reds are pretty and will drink well from an early age.

This wine comes from a fifty-fifty split of two parcels which straddle the road, the upper portion being the bottom of Charmes-Dessus and the lower being the top of Charmes-Dessous. Together they total 0.2 hectares. This is classically Charmes; elegant, creamy and ethereal with real grace. Drink 2022-2028.
Adam Bruntlett, Wine Buyer

This wine comes from the small, triangular lieu-dit of Les Santenots Blanc, and belonged to the Bitouzet family prior to their union with the Meursault-based Prieurs. Despite the vineyard being better known for Volnay, they planted it to Chardonnay in the mid-1960s, as it was the only parcel they owned which was permitted to grow white grapes. Producing between two and three barrels per year, this site gives a rounded wine which has the weight and grip of a red. There is real breadth here – within the parameters of François’s elegant style – which provides a wine of concentration and warmth, with a subtle matchstick reduction keeping things tightly in check. Drink 2020-2025.
Adam Bruntlett, Wine Buyer

The higher-altitude location in Blagny always ensures this wine retains freshness, while the red soil adds some mid-palate weight. The 2017 is energetic, zingy and pure. Its dryness and precision are hugely impressive, giving the feeling the wine has been stretched out to give an incredibly tight profile. A wonderful expression of a wonderful vineyard site. Drink 2023-2030.


After studying at business school, Olivier Leflaive headed to Paris to live a rather bohemian life during the 1970s, working in music and television. He returned to Burgundy in 1981 to manage Domaine Leflaive with his uncle Vincent and later his cousin Anne-Claude. Having long aspired to work for himself, he set up his own négociant business in 1984 and, upon leaving the family domaine a decade later, he gave 15 years’ notice that he would take back his share of the family vines from 2009. Experienced winemaker Franck Grux now makes between 85 and 90 different cuvées, vinifying the equivalent of 120 hectares, of which 17 are estate. The focus here is on elegance and finesse over power.


Franck emphasised the importance of removing excess shoots and buds on the vine early in the season to ensure yields did not become excessive, a practice he encouraged his growers to follow. The results are evident in the wines, which display wonderful concentration and texture, generosity in the mid-palate, precise, direct fruit and a sapid acidity. The excellent natural balance of the wines made vinification relatively straightforward and has yielded wines which Franck describes as serious and, in many respects, comparable to the 2014s. Unless otherwise stated, all wines are domaine.

The nose here offers a stark contrast to the Charmes, with stony reduction and a spicy austerity. The palate is therefore surprisingly rich and dense with more  give and a little more cream and mid-palate weight, before the mineral thread returns on the finish.  Drink 2023-2032. 

François is keen to highlight the importance of the solidarity shown by the Côte’s vignerons at the end of April, when everyone came together to burn dampened bales and create cloud cover to ward off the frost. Without such action this could well have been another catastrophic yield. Having avoided this threat, the rest of the season was fairly straightforward with careful vineyard management and harvest began on the 30th August. He feels the whites are a mix of 2015 and 2014, while the reds are pretty and will drink well from an early age.

Bitouzet-Prieur’s 0.28-hectare parcel is between the Clos des Perrières and the border with Puligny-Montrachet, in Perrières-Dessus to be specific, next to Lafon. As one would expect, this is a stony, chiselled expression of Meursault with a compact and pure profile. The mineral austerity and tightly wound energy gives great ageing potential. Drink 2023-2030.
Adam Bruntlett, Wine Buyer

A famously high Premier Cru, the wines from here can be very restrained and stony. The long, cool and dry end of season has allowed a wine of delightful precision to be produced. With focused fruits of white blossom and almond, the chiselled palate is long and fine, the finish slowly unpeeling. Drink 2022-2029.
Adam Bruntlett, Burgundy Buyer

What was formerly Domaine François Jobard became Antoine & François Jobard when Antoine joined his father in 2002, evolving into just Domaine Antoine Jobard when François fully retired in 2007, after 50 vintages in Meursault. The style has evolved only slightly with the change of generation. Antoine bottles slightly earlier (typically after 21 months rather than 24), however the winemaking remains traditional here, with no lees stirring and very little new wood; the wines reflecting an unhurried restraint, competence, dedication and precision, giving them complex and elegant characteristics. Antoine Jobard was on very positive form at our tasting. He suffered big frost losses (70 percent) for his Bourgogne Blanc and village wines, with a 30 percent reduction across the Premiers Crus, but the results – he feels – are classic Burgundy, with everything en finesse. Everything is held over two winters, although Antoine does not intend to keep the wines as reductively as his 2015s, believing the vintage does not have the necessary power, and the wines therefore showed more generously.

This is a significant cuvée for Ben, and one which is likely to grow in coming years. The heavier soils on the lower sector of Les Genevrières give wines with great density and generosity. Open and giving at present with plenty of almond and ripe stone fruit, Ben intends to rack into tank for the second winter to give the wine a touch more tension. Drink 2020-2026.
Adam Bruntlett, Burgundy Buyer

Having created a name for himself as régisseur (general manager) of Comte Armand in Pommard from 1999 until 2013, Benjamin Leroux established a small négociant business based in Beaune in 2007. The emphasis is on Côte de Beaune whites and Côte de Nuits reds. The company also owns a small holding of Bâtard-Montrachet and since 2014 some vineyards in Meursault. In a short space of time Benjamin Leroux’s wines have built an impressive reputation. Ben is a big fan of his 2016s, praising the sizzling tension of the whites and the beautiful quality of the Pinot fruit, which allowed him to use more whole bunches than in 2015. In early stages of élevage he drew comparisons to 2010, and feels these are wines which will surprise people and gain complexity with time. Thanks to his strong relationships with suppliers, Ben was able to maintain production at around 2015 levels despite the frost, although in general he has less Village and Grand Cru wine and more at the Premier Cru level. For reasons of space, the limited volumes of Grands Crus have not been included in this catalogue. Since the 2014 vintage, all white wines are bottled under screwcap.