Although Meursault does not have a Grand Cru within its borders, it consistently produces some of the most excellent Premier Cru vineyards in Burgundy. The Premier Cru that is believed by many, including specialist Clive Coates, to be the best of class is Les Perrières. Fortunately, we can enjoy this wine, which performs like a Grand Cru, at a reasonable Premier Cru price point. Les Perrières takes its name from the compact, small stones found in its limestone terroir, which is why this vineyard delivers such profound examples of White Burgundy. Nestled into the hill with Puligny-Montrachet to its south and sharing soils more similar to the lauded appellation than Meursault itself, Les Perrières falls in that envied narrow line of the best vineyards of the Côte (slope). If you walked from this vineyard, at the same elevation to the south into Puligny, you would quickly arrive at the 1er Crus Les Combettes, Folatières, Clavaillon, Pucelles, and Les Cailleret before hitting the famous Grand Crus of Montrachet on your right side and Bâtard-Montrachet on your left. This part of the hill is mecca for Chardonnay lovers, and for good reason. If you have never experienced serious White Burgundy before, today is your chance to taste some for a relative bargain considering the wine’s lineage. 

 

It is from 50-year old vines, on just .52 hectares (1.3 acres), of Les Perrières that Thierry Matrot expertly crafts this transcendental Chardonnay; only twenty other producers in the world are lucky enough to make wine from this tiny, 13.71-hectare site. Domaine Matrot, established in 1909 by Thierry’s grandfather, Joseph, is considered a top-class Meursault producer and has remained in the family for over a century. Thierry has held true to his roots and the traditions of Burgundy winemaking, although, he wisely embraced organic farming in 2000. He utilizes minimal oak, with barrels from one to five years of age, which allows the pure expression of Chardonnay and the minerality of the soils it is grown in to shine through. Thankfully, he is vehement in the belief that true quality is derived from the vineyard; so, he exercises minimal intervention in the cellar.