Winemaker Notes
A warm, early ripening site that produces a faintly exotic profile with a zesty, freshness and vibrancy that shows well in its youth.
Professional Ratings
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Jasper Morris
Slightly fuller lemon yellow. Attractive fruit on the nose, quite accessible. Nicely balances the oak. Just the right light note of gunflint reduction, plenty of oak but marries well with the fruit and the zesty acidity.
Barrel Sample: 91-93 -
Wine Spectator
This stylish wine boasts aromas of citrus peel and nectarine with an accent of struck flint and yeasty lees. The texture is lively and fresh, but there is enough density on the palate to ensure a lingering finish. The grapes come from a 0.63-hectare parcel near the border with Genevrières; they are lightly crushed before pressing and fermented mainly in used casks where they will remain for at least two winters.
Barrel Sample: 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.