Around here, this is what we call a ‘no-brainer’: You have the perfect 2010 vintage, a legendary vineyard site, and a great producer. The question is not, “Should we buy it?” but rather, “How much can we get?” Today we have a small parcel of Domaine Michelot’s 2010 Meursault Premier Cru “Charmes” to share.
This is the kind of Burgundy Chardonnay that knocks you sideways—opulent, crystalline, mineral-rich, creamy…everything you’d expect from this iconic vineyard and acclaimed vintage. We’ve been holding back this offer a bit, allowing the wine to rest in our cool cellars for a while after receiving it direct from the domaine. The 2010 is one of my favorite white Burgundy vintages ever—don’t miss it!
Michelot’s 2010 Charmes has ample breadth and texture, as is typical of this vineyard, but it is buttoned-up and structured, even with some bottle age under its belt. In the glass it is a deep yellow-gold, its youthful green reflections now dissipated, and the nose incorporates encroaching ‘secondary’ aromas including baked yellow apple, bosc pear, wild mushrooms, lime blossoms, wilted white flowers, hazelnut, fresh cream, and lees. Medium-plus in body and still framed by fresh, even bracing acidity, I can see this ageing a good decade or more from now if kept well. If you’re curious and can’t wait, decant it about 60 minutes before serving in Burgundy stems. No lower than cellar temperature would be advisable (I prefer a touch warmer 60F or so for great white burgs), and of course you need to cook something for a serious white like this: This is an earthy roast chicken preparation I’ve been obsessed with lately, and it’d make a properly luxurious partner for this blue-chip Burgundy.