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Burgundy 2022 En Primeur: Domaine Michelot, Meursault

Domaine Michelot in Meursault is a cornerstone of our burgundy offering, so we are delighted to be able to offer a wide range of cuvées from the 2022 vintage, including their most sought-after premiers crus, with some excellent scores from Jasper Morris MW.

As at other domaines, Nicolas Mestre and his father Jean-Francois were all smiles, with a decent-sized harvest in the barrel cellar and another (2023) close behind it.  At no other domaine was the contrast with the 2020 vintage more apparent.  Despite the heat in both 2020 and '22, the character of this latest vintage was completely different, majoring in freshness and salinity.  Nicolas' endless experiments with fermenting and ageing in ceramic eggs and glass demi-johns have paid off, allowing him to make energetic wines that express their terroir even in such warm years.  

Usually, we receive just a few cases of the excellent Bourgogne Côte d'Or Blanc and squirrel it away for loyal followers; but we are delighted to have some to offer more widely this year.  You should jump at this 'baby Meursault' while it is available! 

For value at a different level, the 2022 Santenay 'Les Gravières' 1er Cru would put many Meursaults from lesser producers to shame, and is unmistakably a premier cru in terms of intensity and length on the palate. 

As to the Meursault wines themselves, the Village, the Clos St FelixLes Grands CharronsCharmesGenevrières and Perrières offer a dizzying tour of the various terroirs of this famous appellation.  There are only successes in 2022, and no bad choices.  The tasting notes for each wine below (and your pocket!) are your best guide. 

These wines repay some time in the cellar, so if you hanker after the unique character of aged white burgundy, we suggest laying down the lieux-dits and premier cru wines for five to seven years for optimal enjoyment. 

Please let us know as soon as possible if you would like to order.  

Offered en primeur, landing autumn 2024.

 

Domaine Michelot, Meursault

Producer Profile

Domaine Michelot, Meursault

 

One of the most respected domaines in Meursault, Michelot make beautifully saline, mineral white wines in a modern, terroir-driven style.  Jean-François Mestre and his son Nicolas run the domaine, but we first visited here over twenty years ago, to taste with Nicolas' grandfather, Bernard Michelot.  It was the diminutive but charming Bernard who made the domaine so popular in the 1970s and 80s, producing wines in the rich, buttery style which became popular at the time, with plenty of new oak influence.  He was also one of the first producers to bottle his various lieux-dits as separate cuvées. 

We were lucky enough to meet Bernard in the late '90s, and to taste vintages going back to the 1950s with him.  On our last visit, we were reminded of a story he used to tell about the Clos St. Felix lieu dit, a walled vineyard that sits immediately behind the domaine.  Bernard always used to say that he knew the Clos was warmer than the surrounding vineyards, as during the war, he used to break the nighttime curfew to visit his girlfriend.  When he returned late at night and climbed over the wall into the Clos, he would always notice how much warmer it was!

Winemaking, now under Nicolas, is more modern: less new oak, less batonage, and more focus on retaining fruit purity and terroir.  Taut but delicious when young, their Meursaults age effortlessly.  We recently purchased a small parcel of the 2004 Meursault Village from a private cellar and, sixteen years on, it was still drinking well.  The domaine currently has 23 hectares, with one of the largest holdings in Meursault itself.  Parcels of vines for the village wine are spread across the appellation, one reason why this is a benchmark wine, very representative of the wines from this village.

Michelot's Meursaults are enjoyed by Burgundy-lovers around the world but remain slightly below the critics' radar.  One Burgundy insider tells us that Jean-François Coche-Dury (possibly Meursault's greatest winemaker) says that Michelot is hugely underrated; their wines can be had for a tenth of the price of equivalents from Coche-Dury, i.e. the price of a bottle of Coche almost buys you a case of Michelot.

The Meursault lieux-dits 'Clos St Felix' and 'Les Grands Charrons' are a notch up from the village wine in price, but with more than enough added richness and saline, mineral freshness to justify this.  The Santenay Blanc 'Les Gravières' premier cru borders Chassagne and has more weight and seriousness to it than many a Chassagne or Meursault.  Four Meursault premiers crus are bottled, 'Les Poruzots, 'Les Perrières', 'Les Charmes' and 'Les Genevrières'.  'Les Genevrières' is named after the juniper trees which used to grow here.  This premier cru produces some of the richest and most structured Meursaults from the appellation, with excellent ageing potential.  The soil is clay/limestone with a subsoil of pebbles, volcanic rock and white limestone. Michelot have two parcels in the middle of the slope, at 250-275 metres above sea level.  Known as "Genevrières Dessus", these higher parts of the cru produce superior wines to those from the lower slopes.

WHITE 2022 1 case Domaine Michelot - Meursault Clos St Felix, Monople 75cl £295 per case of 6 Domaine Michelot
Meursault Clos St Felix, Monople
2022 / 1 case / 75cl
£295 per case of 6
IB
Tasting NotesThe Clos St Felix is a walled vineyard directly adjoining the winery. Nicolas' grandfather used to tell the story of how he knew this was a warmer site than the surrounding vineyards. As a young man during the occupation, he would come home from visiting his girlfriend on cold winter nights after curfew. Hopping over the wall into the Clos St Felix, he would immediately notice the warmer temperatures! The 2022 has lots of flint and iodine on the nose and the same roundness and texture on the palate, but it is more focused and linear too, with very fine acidity. More intense on the finish, with excellent length. RKL------"Pale in colour, perhaps a lemon tint. Reductive on the nose which is hiding the fruit. I can pick up greater intensity compared to Sous la Velle, but the reduction hides it a little. Oyster shells at the finish, unexpectedly. Drink from 2027-2033. 89-92 points." Jasper Morris MW, Inside Burgundy
WHITE 2022 3 cases Domaine Michelot - Meursault Genevrières 1er cru 75cl £495 per case of 6 Domaine Michelot
Meursault Genevrières 1er cru
2022 / 3 cases / 75cl
£495 per case of 6
IB
Tasting NotesTremendous power but also super-smooth. As we have said before, if Meursault had a grand cru, it would be Genevrières, as demonstrated by the depth of concentration and supremely long finish. RKL------"Pale lemon in colour. At first sniff the Genevrières is more generous than the Charmes, or at least slightly riper. Herbs and honeysuckle, but with the stones in the background. Sort of like Vaillons in Chablis, this also gives a drier finish on lemon scented stones. An interesting contrast to the Charmes. Lovely aftertaste. My first sniff was misleading. Drink from 2029-2037. 92-95 points." Jasper Morris MW, Inside Burgundy
WHITE 2022 1 case Domaine Michelot - Meursault Les Charmes 1er cru 75cl £475 per case of 6 Domaine Michelot
Meursault Les Charmes 1er cru
2022 / 1 case / 75cl
£475 per case of 6
IB
Tasting NotesTrue to its name, Les Charmes is charming, with a softness to the texture, delicate aromas of white flowers and lovely salinity. The persistence on the palate marks this out as a step up from the preceding wines, with beautiful crushed-rock minerality on the finish. RKL------"Pale colour with a most promising nose, the ample side of Charmes but held in balance, showing the precision of this excellent white wine vintage. This starts well then accelerates with class across the whole of the palate. Not too fleshy, this comes across as quite a refined Meursault Charmes. Drink from 2029-2037. 92-94 points." Jasper Morris MW, Inside Burgundy
WHITE 2022 3 cases Domaine Michelot - Meursault Les Grands Charrons 75cl £330 per case of 6 Domaine Michelot
Meursault Les Grands Charrons
2022 / 3 cases / 75cl
£330 per case of 6
IB
Tasting NotesThe Grands Charrons vines are at the same elevation as the premier cru vineyards and this would probably be rated at that level, but for the cool winds that come from the valley of Auxey-Duresses, lowering the temperature a fraction. Pronounced iodine and saline notes, soft and floral on the palate, with a distinctive roundness. This is a great year for terroir expression, the subtle differences between sites is so clear. RKL "Mid lemon yellow. The bouquet is more generous in fruit with a light floral note as well. Immediately explosive fruit but well poised on the palate, a light touch of mineral bitterness to finish, and medium plus length., even slightly saline at the finish. Plenty to build on here. Drink from 2027-2034. 90-92 points." Jasper Morris MW, Inside Burgundy
WHITE 2022 10 cases Domaine Michelot - Meursault Village 75cl £255 per case of 6 Domaine Michelot
Meursault Village
2022 / 10 cases / 75cl
£255 per case of 6
IB
Tasting NotesFrom ten parcels around the village. The Mestre's aim with this wine is to blend the various components to make a wine that is as representative of the village as possible. Few domaines have such an array of terroirs at their disposal, so this wine is one of the best exemplars of the village. 80% barrel fermented and aged, half in barrique and half in 500l casks. The remaining 20% is made in ceramic 'eggs' and glass globes. Nicolas is continually experimenting with these vessels to give texture to the wines, whilst allowing them to express their terrroir. Intense flint and struck match aromas, some saline notes on the palate, balancing a soft, rounded texture. Lovely savoury hazelnut character. RKL------"Pale colour with a touch of sulphur on the nose, certainly more tension. Starts well and then builds, with predominantly fresh apple notes, the fruit covering the wood and becoming more complex than expected further back on the palate. Drink from 2026-2031. 89-92 points." Jasper Morris MW, Inside Burgundy
WHITE 2022 2 cases Domaine Michelot - Santenay Blanc Les Gravières 1er cru 75cl £230 per case of 6 Domaine Michelot
Santenay Blanc Les Gravières 1er cru
2022 / 2 cases / 75cl
£230 per case of 6
IB
Tasting NotesPrevious solar vintages of this wine have had an almost tropical character to the fruit. In this vintage, the premier cru status of Les Gravières shows itself more in the delicacy and finesse to the fruit, which is layered and very precise. Intense saline and iodine notes on the finish. RKL

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