89-91 Points from Allen Meadows of Burghound: " Here too there is enough reduction to overshadow the fruit. By contrast, there is both good verve and freshness to the caressing and beautifully textured flavors that also flash ample minerality on the youthfully austere bitter zest-inflected finale. This is very good for a villages-level wine and one that should age gracefully."
By Kelly Rau, Art of Cellaring
The biggest secret to the domaine's success is their choices at harvest and vinification. Winemaker Patrick Essa prefers to harvest much later than his peers, believing that many producers harvest far too early and end up with one dimensional wines that lack the complexity. He strongly believes that extra hang time is needed for full complexity and flavor development and that Meursault's terroir keeps the acid high despite fuller ripeness. After harvest, the whole bunch white grapes go through a long gentle pressing followed by vinification in wood and maturation in barrel for around 18 months, ranging from all neutral to up to 30% new oak depending on the cuvée. Additionally, the wines rest in tanks for a few months before bottling to increase precision, a practice becoming more and more common with the most talented white winemakers in Burgundy, such as Jean-Marc Roulot. The resulting white wines are floral and pure fruited Chardonnays that capture the full expression of Meursault's underlying character. The reds see a large portion of whole clusters (up to 60%) to enhance the finesse and perfume of the domaine's Pommard and Volnay sites, and similarly to the whites, they also go through 18 months of elevage with up to 50% new wood.
These are truly classic, soulful Burgundies that do not chase fads like extreme reduction or toasty oak and instead focus on elegance, mid-palate weight, and the perfect balance of high acid and ripe, healthy fruit.
