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Domaine Ballot-Millot, Les Criots, Meursault

Burgundy, France 2012 (750mL)
$58.00
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Fruit
Earth
Body
Tannin
Acid
Alcohol

Domaine Ballot-Millot, Les Criots, Meursault


Meursault is a small village nestled just north of Puligny-Montrachet and south of Volnay in Burgundy’s blessed Côte de Beaune. As many of you know, it is the source of some of the finest Chardonnay in the world. Due to serious worldwide demand and incredibly limited cultivated land throughout the desirable region, Burgundy often demands painfully high prices, which sometimes command more than the quality found inside the bottle. That is why I am on a constant search for extraordinary values in the region which can be tough. Such is the case with today’s example, which hails from a special lieu-dit vineyard named “Les Criots” that is tucked alongside Meursault’s northern end of premier cru vineyards and is adjacent to the premier cru vineyard, Santenots. Just across Meursault’s border from Volnay, this 1.72-hectare Les Criots parcel of roughly 25-year-old vines offers stony clay and limestone soils and is a source of elegance as well as magnificent weight for a village-level wine.
 
When Charles Ballot took the reins of the family domaine in 2000, he began tending all of his vineyards in an approach referred to as “lutte-raisonée,” translating to, “reasoned fight,” which is a French method that focuses on sustainability and pragmatic farming practices utilizing many organic methods and only resourcing to conventional farming methods when absolutely needed. They hand-harvest then strictly sort the grapes on tables set up in the vineyard. Once in the cellar, the fruit is entirely de-stemmed the pneumatically pressed into barrel where the wine undergoes an incredibly slow, cold fermentation with all-native yeasts. The natural approach to the land coupled with pristine conditions and temperature control contribute to stellar wines. After twelve months of sur lie age in roughly 30% new French oak barrels, the wine is then racked into stainless for six months to rest before being lightly filtered with diatomaceous earth prior to bottling.
 
The 2012 Les Criots exhibits a light golden-yellow core moving to slight green reflections on the rim. The nose divulges all the aromas of a classic young Meursault with the essence of yellow apple, asian pear, underripe white peach, lemon curd and lime blossom layered with fresh hazelnut, acacia flower, oyster shell minerality and a touch of baking spice. After the wine is acquainted with sufficient air, this lovely Chardonnay fills out in texture and reveals its medium-plus body while maintaining its fresh crisp balance. The palate offers flavors reminiscent of the nose with prominent notes of yellow apple, fresh white flowers, crushed nuts, distinct limestone and a subtle kiss of baking spice. This is not a Chardonnay to simply open and pour, it needs oxygen to open up. Ideally decant this wine for at least an hour then serve just slightly under cellar temperature (55F) or even a touch warmer in Burgundy stems. If you serve the wine too cold the aromas will be shy. As the temperature slowly rises a gloriously rich creamy experience will unfold on the palate, so be patient and open the wine well before you want to drink it. This wine will be at its peak in about 3-7 years from now, but will easily age for a decade or more with proper storage conditions. I often drink Meursault with Cantonese food and due the clean umami driven flavors it pairs perfectly. This is one of my favorite dishes, and this Steamed Fish recipe is very close to what we prepare at home. I advise you try it!
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Country
France
Region
Burgundy
Sub-Region
FranceMeursault
Soil
Limestone and Clay
Farming
Sustainable
Blend
Chardonnay
Alcohol
13.5
OAK
30% New French

France

Bourgogne

Beaujolais

Enjoying the greatest wines of Beaujolais starts, as it usually does, with the lay of the land. In Beaujolais, 10 localities have been given their own AOC (Appellation of Controlled Origin) designation. They are: Saint Amour; Juliénas; Chénas; Moulin-à Vent; Fleurie; Chiroubles; Morgon; Régnié; Côte de Brouilly; and Brouilly.

Southwestern France

Bordeaux

Bordeaux surrounds two rivers, the Dordogne and Garonne, which intersect north of the city of Bordeaux to form the Gironde Estuary, which empties into the Atlantic Ocean. The region is at the 45th parallel (California’s Napa Valley is at the38th), with a mild, Atlantic-influenced climate enabling the maturation of late-ripening varieties.

Central France

Loire Valley

The Loire is France’s longest river (634 miles), originating in the southerly Cévennes Mountains, flowing north towards Paris, then curving westward and emptying into the Atlantic Ocean near Nantes. The Loire and its tributaries cover a huge swath of central France, with most of the wine appellations on an east-west stretch at47 degrees north (the same latitude as Burgundy).

Northeastern France

Alsace

Alsace, in Northeastern France, is one of the most geologically diverse wine regions in the world, with vineyards running from the foothills of theVosges Mountains down to the Rhine River Valley below.

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