Meursault, I’ve missed you. The combination of challenging vintages and skyrocketing prices makes it tough to find bottles from this world famous wine hamlet that offer both textbook terroir expression and value. But today we have just that, and I’m super excited to get the home of Chardonnay mastery back in the mix. Fittingly, today’s discovery comes to us from the über talented Pascal Clement, a winemaker with deep roots in the Côte de Beaune who is putting all of his thirty plus years of experience and knowledge into this breathtaking vision of classic Meursault majesty. That sublime balance of ripe, sumptuous texture and precise, mineral structure is here in droves, apparent from the moment you pull the cork. This is what white Burgundy lovers dream of, and now you can make those dreams a reality!
What’s the secret sauce, the magic that makes the tiny little hamlet of Meursault a global destination for wine lovers? Like all things Burgundy it comes down to location and soil. Situated just south of Beaune, with the red wine dominant villages of Pommard and Volnay in between and the Montrachet sisters of Puligny and Chassagne to the south, Meursault has a the perfect ingredients for producing Chardonnay that is both voluptuous and precise. The vineyards face almost due east instead of southeast, which helps them soak up a bit more sunshine than the generally more chiseled and angular wines of Puligny and Chassagne. There’s also a touch more clay in the limestone bedrock, which is why Pinot Noir starts to take over on the village’s northern edge. It’s a perfect natural recipe for wines that have oodles of charm and seduction, but still maintain definition, structure, and soaring complexity.
Pascal Clement knows the secrets of Meursault as well as anyone. He grew up a few miles away in Savigny-les-Beaune, and his family has been involved in grape growing and winemaking for many generations. Pascal started working in the vines as a teenager and spent twenty years learning on the job while working alongside some of the region’s icons, including perhaps the most acclaimed Meursault producer Jean-François Coche, and his son Raphaël at Domaine Coche-Dury. In 2012 Pascal was finally able to start his own project, a micro-negociant firm where he can take advantage of his long standing relationships with top growers to access pristine fruit from the best terroirs in the Côte d’Or.
Given his familial connections and his impactful stint with Coche-Dury, it’s no surprise that Meursault is near and dear to Pascal. He sources his fruit from two classic lieu-dit parcels, Narvaux and Vireuil, and ferments with native yeasts in tanks before aging in 500 liter French oak “puncheons” to achieve a richly textured wine without overt oak spice. Served at a cool 50-55 degrees in a nice Burgundy bowl it glows a brilliant straw gold and after a bit of air the classic aromas of yellow apple, marzipan, lemon curd, citrus blossom, honeysuckle, white peach, baking spice, and a touch of fennel all emerge. The textbook texture is soft and mouth coating, but of course the long, mineral, sea salt finish is framed by bright, prickly acidity. A range of pairings are available, but I think an old-school classic like lobster Thermidor would be a wonderful way to spend a weekend evening. Get ready for some Meursault magic in your life!
