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Bitouzet-Prieur, Meursault, “Les Corbins”

Burgundy, France 2014 (750mL)
$66.00
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Bitouzet-Prieur, Meursault, “Les Corbins”

If, like me, you are beholden to an ever-deepening white Burgundy addiction, then rest assured today’s Meursault satisfies all the most important prerequisites: A stellar vintage (2014 is a dream for whites); a historic family estate; three years of flattering maturity; and a tiny single vineyard site that telegraphs this timeless village’s most beloved attributes.
There’s an extra added bonus today, though. Unlike most Meursault we offer on SommSelect, with today’s beauty you won’t be paying $80-plus. So, while I hesitate to call any village-level Burgundy a “bargain” these days, there’s no denying the value and palate pyrotechnics this wine delivers. For my palate, this is near-perfect Meursault which greatly over-delivers at this price. The one catch today is that very little of this stellar wine exists and the even smaller amount we’ve secured will likely vanish promptly. So, if you’re interested, you might want to move quickly!

[*PLEASE NOTE: Bitouzet-Prieur's 2014 Meursault “Les Corbins” is only available on pre-arrival and will ship from California the week of Monday, 1/22. Limit 6 bottles per customer.]
For each of the Burgundy’s top vineyard sites, there is a corresponding terroir character: the crystalline purity of Grand Cru Chablis; the regal and broad-shouldered luxury of top Puligny-Montrachet; the brooding complexity of mature Corton-Charlemagne. And let’s not forget about sacred origin of today’s wine: Meursault! This famed village’s best whites are the epitome of rich texture and opulence. The finest Meursault wraps your palate in layers of creamy richness, soft and round acidity, and perfectly ripe yellow fruits, lime blossoms, and hints of hazelnut. There’s great Chardonnay all over the world, but there’s nothing quite like Meursault from a top estate, a great vintage, and an organically farmed vineyard populated with decades-old vines.

Today’s gorgeous Meursault was born in a micro-parcel called “Les Corbins.”  Situated near Meursault’s northern border with Volnay, and wedged between Premier Cru “Les Plures” and another exceptional village-level vineyard called “Clos du Cromin,” this gently sloping, southeast-facing site enjoys a long history of producing whites of exceptionally broad-shouldered depth and luxury. That’s not to say there isn’t serious precision here as well! “Les Corbins’” were planted 44 years ago and an alluvial fan from the Auxey-Duresses valley has created exceptionally deep and rocky limestone-clay soil here—in other words, dream white Burgundy terroir and soil character to spare!  

Bitouzet-Prieur’s 2014 “Les Corbins” is a rare white Burgundy by any measure. Only 50 cases come to North America each year, and they are always snatched up promptly. In 2014—a great vintage for Côte de Beaune whites—demand is even higher than usual. This bottle has an unbelievably focused structure that elegantly balances floral notes with fresh yellow apple and bosc pear. In the distance there’s acacia honey, hazelnut, oyster shell, and finely crushed limestone. The warm, rain-free 2014 summer and autumn delivered considerable broadness and round fruit to this wine’s palate. Together, it’s absolutely spot-on, textbook Meursault—so good. I recommend decanting half the bottle for one hour before serving in large Burgundy stems. This wine just gets better and better after the cork is pulled, so reserve the un-decanted two glasses’ worth to enjoy over the following days. Trust me, you won’t regret it. This wine’s already impressive staying power is a strong indication of its cellar-worthiness. I’ve indulged in no small amount of 10- and 20-year-old Bitouzet Meursault over the years and these wines never disappoint. In 2014, and especially with this wine’s modest pre-arrival price tag, there’s a strong incentive to stash a few bottles in your cellar. For now, enjoy it with its culinary soulmate: lobster with drawn butter. Cheers!
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Country
France
Region
Burgundy
Sub-Region
FranceMeursault
Soil
Chalk and Clay
Farming
Organic
Blend
Chardonnay
Alcohol
13.5
OAK
Mostly Used French
TEMP.
60
Glassware
Burgundy Stems
Drinking
Now-2030
Decanting
One Hour
Pairing
Lobster w/ Drawn Butter

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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