The Meursault
lieu-dit of “Les Tillets” is an extra-special site that has earned a spot in the Côte de Beaune terroir Hall of Fame, thanks in large part to exalted bottlings from Domaine Roulot—a label seen on the world’s finest wine lists. And yet, amazingly, it doesn’t come with a flashy Premier or Grand Cru designation, despite having the pedigree, terroir, and in Roulot’s case, exorbitant pricing ($300+ in any given vintage).
In Hugh Johnson and Jancis Robinson’s seminal “World Atlas of Wine,” they describe how Roulot “manages to spin gold” from this high-altitude Chardonnay sanctuary. Naturally, this is an extraordinary Burgundy terroir that everyone must experience—if an affordable label can be found! That’s why we’re proud to showcase Christian Bellang today: From a sliver of vines in Les Tillets, Bellang gently expresses the site’s greatest qualities by fermenting and maturing their wine in mostly neutral oak, lending it exquisite purity and focus. We had the opportunity to purchase a small allocation on our recent trip to Burgundy and we couldn’t pass it up, especially in 2016, when production was notoriously short. We can only six bottles per person today until our stock disappears, which I strongly suspect it will!
Christian Bellang may be a new name for our subscribership, but it’s a long-established estate that has been tied to Meursault for centuries: Their family tree dates to 1789, the same year George Washington was elected as America’s first president. However, the domaine as currently constructed wasn’t founded until 1974, when Christian Bellang assumed control of his parents’ estate. With it came a handful of premium Meursault vineyards. Now with 22 accumulated acres, Christian’s son, Christophe, is running the show. Bellang’s two prized possessions are both located within Meursault: “Les Charmes” and today’s gem, “Les Tillets.”
The limestone-rich, gravel-strewn “Les Tillets” in Meursault isn’t classified as a Premier Cru (many say it should be), but given the big-name wines (e.g. Roulot and Jobard) coming out of it, should be. Approaching 1,000 feet, it is one of the highest-elevation sites in Meursault, producing a more high-toned, Puligny-esque breed of Meursault. During medieval times, the Les Tillets vineyard had lime trees growing along its outskirts, and experts tend to detect a lime blossom note in Chardonnays from the site—of which you will find an abundance in this bottle. Bellang farmed his small sliver of 30-year-old vines with a sustainable mindset and hand harvested an extremely limited crop in 2016. In the winery, a slow fermentation occurred in barrel, followed by approximately 16 months of maturation in 25% new French oak.
Bellang’s “Les Tillets” gleams a pale yellow with silver and slight green hues throughout. Nervy and ready to burst forward with a full head of steam, this reveals wonders with proper time in the decanter. After air, it blooms into a broad-shouldered beauty, showing the wealth of aging potential it possesses. Lime blossoms (in spades), candied lemon peel, green and yellow apple skin, sliced white pear, raw hazelnut, vanilla bean—they unfold with live-wire energy, pinging your senses with an overlying crushed (chalk, wet stones) minerality. Though medium-bodied, the wine presents a full mouthfeel on the palate with star-bright acidity and loads of mineral verve. It shows incredibly taut, multi-faceted layers that burst with piquant fruit. Tracking this wine over several hours is a thrilling experience as it starts to mellow out and peel off its tense exterior. Because of that, we recommend a minimum one hour decant before consuming in Burgundy stems around 50-55 degrees. Otherwise, keep your hands off this elite Chardonnay until 2020 and save one for its peak around 2025 (it will last well beyond 2030). The pairing here is a no-brainer: turbot in a rich butter sauce—watch the magic of tense, layered Meursault go to work!
