Meursault

The small but perfectly-formed 2016 vintage in Burgundy delivered wines of crystalline transparency and remarkable freshness. Displaying beguiling notes of wood smoke and white peach on the nose, a hint of ripe apricot on the palate gives a nod to the opulence of Meursault, while the juicy citrus acidity and spicy oak provide a cleansing finish. This is a wine which is more than worthy of its famous name.
Adam Bruntlett, Wine Buyer

Fine, pale, lime-and-lemon colour, this has a racy, spicy nose. Tense and elegant, there is some flesh on the palate along with some hillside austerity. Good length and balance, very pretty.

Patrick likes the freshness and purity of 2014, with nothing that hints at vulgarity. He compares the vintage to 2002 and the best of 2004. Elegance is the hallmark of 2014 but there is good body too, with the wines coming in at or just over 13 percent alcohol. The wines were bottled in the autumn.

The planting dates here vary from 1951 to 1992, giving a pleasing blend of vibrant young-vine fruit and old-vine concentration. The lower-lying vines were hit by the frost which has given an extra layer of concentration and nervosity to the wine. Jean-Baptiste racked this into tank in July to preserve freshness. There is a touch of ripe citrus fruit, good medium weight and a pleasing phenolic grip to the finish. Drink 2020-2023.
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.

Jean-Philippe Fichet is a grower from Meursault who is driven by the desire to make great wines. From the second you enter his immaculate cave you know there will be serious wine to be found. The spotless converted barn close by l'Hôpital in Meursault is air-conditioned and provides a welcome relief from his scattered and cramped conditions of a few years ago. Constantly experimenting and refining, his wines have real definition and individuality, with the individual terroirs clearly exposed.

The vines for this cuvée are between 25 and 55 years old, mature enough to produce high-quality wine. Pale in colour, it has the faintest green tint. There is lots of limestone in the soil, which gives the minerality and tension. A little greengage on the palate, this delivers a superb, fresh, hillside Meursault.

From vines planted in 1958 and 1989, there was very little frost damage here. Tessons is a favourite site, on the same contour as the upper section of Genevrières and Perrières, but facing slightly more towards the east. There is a pleasant weight of fruit on the entry, before the mid-palate opens and develops with brisk acidity to give a wine of great elegance and freshness. Ethereal. Drink 2021-2025.
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.

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.

Tesson is a good candidate for Meursault’s finest specific lieu-dit. This wine shows a beautiful noble reduction, with dancing fruit behind, elegance and energy. The palate displays yellow fruit at perfect ripeness yet with a magical excitement.
Jasper Morris, MW - Wine Buyer

Jean-Philippe Fichet is very excited with his 2013s, which he picked before the weekend of bad weather. He has also refined his techniques in the cellar, pressing the grapes for longer and settling out the juice less than before; both methods aimed at enhancing the vineyard character of each plot and making less ‘technical’ wines. A lovely range.

This is very backward on the nose, needing air to give it expression, but there is a great linear drive of flavour. Ripe fruit but still with a fresh greengage aspect; in short, this is a beautifully nourished wine. Drink 2020-2026.
Jasper Morris MW, Wine Buyer

It is a magisterial range of wines from Antoine Jobard this year, with a depth of flavour rarely seen from any white wine producer. He has taken the unusual step, for him, of racking his 2015s into tank after just one year in barrel, as he thinks maintaining the carbon dioxide levels in the wine is important for them to retain their freshness. Antoine adores power and concentration in white wines as long as you can keep them fresh. We were thrilled with the quality of his 2015s.

An excellent, fine, pale colour, with lime blossom notes, this is an elegant wine within the Jobard style. There is huge drive and weight to this for village level, sublime persistence and just the right balance. Drink 2020-2026.
Jasper Morris MW, Wine Buyer

It is a magisterial range of wines from Antoine Jobard this year, with a depth of flavour rarely seen from any white wine producer. He has taken the unusual step, for him, of racking his 2015s into tank after just one year in barrel, as he thinks maintaining the carbon dioxide levels in the wine is important for them to retain their freshness. Antoine adores power and concentration in white wines as long as you can keep them fresh. We were thrilled with the quality of his 2015s.

This is Patrick’s established blend of two vineyards: Les Clous, which sits beside Les Tillets, and Les Crotots, which is lower, below the Premier Cru Poruzots. Crotots was frosted and so contributes only a fifth to the blend. The wine is thus a little fresher than usual, but still rich, almost unctuous, with a bold, long finish, and a nice line of spicy fruit. Drink 2019-2023.
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.

Fine and pale, this offers a less steely nose than some cuvées here, but more interesting aromatics, with an intriguing mix of floral, herbal and pure fruit. In style this is a touch lighter than Les Charmes, but perhaps more refined. Nicely persistent. Drink 2020-2026.
Jasper Morris MW, Wine Buyer

Picking began on 28th August and the whites were brought in across just three days. “It was such a beautiful quality of fruit,” says Jean-Baptiste, “that I couldn't stop eating the grapes.” Good sugar levels have brought alcohols ranging from 12.6 to 13.2 percent and the wines have been elegant right from the start.

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.

The nose here is fairly open and ripe, with charming, peach fruit. The palate, however, is stricter and more serious, with a fine, mineral backbone underpinning the wine. The finish has a generous helping of buttered toast and hazelnut. This is very much in place already, a gorgeous, seductive wine, although it is likely to close down after bottling. 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.

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.

This famous vineyard in Blagny is close to Meursault Perrières, but totally different in character. There is a satisfying balance of dense Meursault weight and austere, stony minerality. The result is a nerv y and energetic wine which has a sizzling freshness that leaves one salivating. Drink 2020-2025.
Adam Bruntlett, Burgundy Buyer

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. Winemaker Franck Grux is very pleased with the quality of the 2016 vintage, although he explained that the frost damage caused grapes to ripen at different times, which required a great deal of patience and necessitated extending the harvest to three weeks, as opposed to the normal two. The Puligny vineyards were relatively lucky in terms of frost damage, giving good yields. Franck explained that he carried out more lees stirring in 2016 than in 2015 to give the wines more weight, feeling that 2016 is a vintage with comparatively modest body and ripeness. Unless otherwise stated, all wines are domaine.