Winemaker Notes
Elegant bouquet of fruit and flowers. Round and silky on the palate, this wine is very charming. Good ageing potential.
Pair with fish, shellfish in sauce or foie gras.
Professional Ratings
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Decanter
Often picked last among Bouchard Père's white wine vineyards -as was the case in 2018 - this comes from a parcel in Les Charmes-Dessous that was planted in the mid-1950s. Racy, zippy and chiselled, it's one of those wines that reflects its proximity to Puligny-Montrachet, finishing with notes of aniseed and citrus and stylishly integrated 15% new wood. Drinking Window 2022 - 2030
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Aromas of crisp orchard fruit, dried white flowers, blanched almonds and fresh pastry introduce the 2018 Meursault 1er Cru Les Charmes, a medium to full-bodied, layered and enveloping wine that's muscular and structured, with good depth at the core and a lively, saline finish.
Range: 91-93
One of the most popular and versatile white wine grapes, Chardonnay offers a wide range of flavors and styles depending on where it is grown and how it is made. While it tends to flourish in most environments, Chardonnay from its Burgundian homeland produces some of the most remarkable and longest lived examples. California produces both oaky, buttery styles and leaner, European-inspired wines. Somm Secret—The Burgundian subregion of Chablis, while typically using older oak barrels, produces a bright style similar to the unoaked style. Anyone who doesn't like oaky Chardonnay would likely enjoy Chablis.
Known to offer a magical balance of smoothness and freshness, Meursault's quality is hard to rival. The village lies in the middle of Côte de Beaune, just south of Volnay. Meursault is said to mean “mouse’s jump” because in the past the plots producing Pinot Noir and those producing Chardonnay were no more than a mouse’s jump from one another. Today the village is almost exclusively Chardonnay. A tiny bit of Pinot Noir is produced here with the best coming from Les Santenots on its northern side near Volnay.
While there are no Grands Crus, Meursault’s numerous acclaimed Premiers Crus can compete with any other top-notch white Burgundy. Some to know are Les Perrières, Les Genevrières, Les Charmes, Le Poruzot, Les Bouchères and Les Gouttes d’Or.
Meursault produces outstanding village level wines as well. In general great Premiers Crus and even village level Meursault (Chardonnay) have enticing aromas of lime peel, tropical fruit, crushed rocks, spice and hazelnut. On the palate there is a wonderful balance of brightness and a seductive length with flavors of white peach, pineapple and citrus.