Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Jasper Morris
A south facing slope for this new wine in the range, ex Domaine Darnat. Racked and sulphured before harvest. Mid yellow, ripe plummy fruit, this is more advanced in style, vines of a decent age, well managed before they took over in January. More of a limestone finish.
Barrel Sample: 88-91 -
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
A new bottling from Jobard, the 2019 Meursault Clos le Mieux Tavaux reveals scents of pear, orange oil and lemon mingled with fresh bread and white flowers. Medium to full-bodied, bright and precise, it's lively and penetrating, concluding with a saline finish. Since Jobard plans to blend all his lieux-dits in 2020, this is likely destined to be a one-off label. Best After 2021
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.