Consider the heart-wrenching prices of Millot’s immediate vineyard neighbors—two of which bottle four-digit-priced wines—and you’d expect a powerfully rich and rare Montrachet to be the topic of conversation. Really, the exorbitant prices and all-star cast (Comte Lafon, Arnaud Ente, d’Auvenay) would seem to say so, but in fact, we’re a bit north in Meursault’s prized Goutte d’Or—a jewel of a Premier Cru vineyard.
With a name that translates into “drop of gold” this renowned Premier Cru site has long been admired by high society: Thomas Jefferson enjoyed it nearly as much as Montrachet and was rumored to have bought an entire harvest for his own consumption! And still, despite all this pedigree and the lofty cult labels that have staked out this prized vineyard, Domaine Bernard Millot creates liquified gold at a fraction of the price. They, too, have their own impressively long and noble lineage: The Millot family has been farming in Meursault for more than 300 years without pause and when you combine that incomparable expertise with an illustrious site, traditionalist winemaking, and a vintage that
Vinous calls a “modern classic,” a Premier Cru of utterly luxurious proportions emerges. As we said when the 2015 vintage quickly sold out last year: This is an opulent wine that’s specifically tailored for top white Burgundy aficionados. Up to six bottles per person.
Since the dawn of the 18th century, the Millot family has avidly farmed small slices of vines in the epicenter of Côte de Beaune. Today, they own a total of eight hectares in the villages of Meursault, Puligny Montrachet, and Beaune. Currently run by namesake Bernard and his son, Emilien, this father-son duo works tirelessly to farm sustainably, harvest by hand, and raise their wine traditionally in the family’s subterranean cellar. In short, their back-breaking work emulates that of their ancestors.
Their 40-year-old vines in Meursault 1er Cru “Goutte d’Or” lie in the heart of the vineyard and are buried in rich clay and fragmented limestone. The Millots are constantly in the vineyard throughout the season and come harvest, 20 people are temporarily hired in order to suit their manual-intensive needs. In the winery, the grapes are gently pressed over a four-hour period and allowed to settle for one day. Following, the juice is transferred via gravity into once-used French barrels where an alcoholic fermentation through ambient yeasts occurs. Malolactic fermentation is also allowed to occur naturally. After one year in these barrels, along with a consistent lees stirring regimen (bâtonnage), the wine is transferred into stainless steel tanks for six additional months. Because of judicious new oak use followed by a long rest in stainless steel to “tighten” the wine up, Millot’s “Goutte d’Or” delivers incredible opulence and mouthwatering precision.
If you want extreme richness, broad power, and tension-filled layers in your white Burgundy, there’s no need to read on—this is your wine, and it can be enjoyed now and/or later. Millot’s 2017 starts hinting at its luxuriousness the moment the cork is pulled, but I urge you to have a bit of patience by decanting for 30 minutes before serving in large Burgundy stems around 50-55 degrees. Afterward, you’ll be presented with extremely lush notes of grilled peach, yellow apples, pineapple, quince, ripe apricot, acacia, honeysuckle, stirred lees, crushed white rocks, crushed almonds, and ample baking spice. Even with brilliant tension, lifted acidity, and moderate alcohol, the palate provides the drinker with a resplendent, nearly full-bodied Chardonnay accented by Burgundy’s classic mineral imprint. It’s undoubtedly one of the most hedonistic and most affordable Premier Cru experiences we’ll have the pleasure of offering this year. Enjoy!
