Winemaker Notes
This Meursault is intense yet restrained, deeply complex and fresh. It has the intensity of a premier cru and the class of a grand cru. The nose is blossoming with minerality, flint and the whisper of fresh hazelnut. It is trademark Meursault, with a sublime complexity and sophistication.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
While my tasting at the domaine was postponed by France's second COVID-19 lockdown, I sacrificed a bottle from my cellar to take a first look at Raphaël Coche's 2018 Meursault Village. The wine is very promising indeed, unwinding in the glass with aromas of struck match, crisp orchard fruit and citrus oil, complemented by subtle hints of praline and sesame. Medium to full-bodied, with impressive cut and tension in this often rather open-knit vintage, it's elegantly textural and nicely concentrated, with tangy acids and a youthfully chalky finish. Expect it to put on weight with some time in bottle. I'm looking forward to getting acquainted with the rest of the 2018 Coche-Dury portfolio in the near future.
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.