MEURSAULT

Localization : Côte de Beaune
Total vineyard area e : 437 ha dont 132 ha en premier cru
Varieties and types of wine :
pinot noir for the red wines
chardonnay almost exclusively for the white wines
Classification : Villages, Premier Cru

Premier Cru "Climats" :

Les Cras

Les Caillerets

Les Santenots blancs

Les Plures

Les Santenots du milieu

Charmes : Bouchard Père & Fils owns 1% of this "Appellation" which is on gravely, chalky clay with traces of iron. The wines from here are the very example of structure and strength with an exceptional ageing potential.

La Jeunelotte

La Pièce sous le Bois

Sous le dos d'âne

Sous Blagny

Perrières : classed as "tête de cuvée" in the 1855 list, this Premier Cru has always been noted for its finesse and pureness. In the middle of the 19th century; the oenologist M de Vergnette (Le vin, written between 1838 and 1844) stated " after true Montrachet, I do not know of any white wine so exquisite " The Bouchard Père & Fils estate covers 1.2 ha. on ground which has given its name to this "Climat", being composed of pebbles and stones.

Clos des Perrières

Genevrières : The Bouchard Père & Fils estate comprises 2.65 hectares of this Premier Cru reputed for its resilience, the subtlety of its bouquet, its refinement and its plenitude. Just like the "Climats" of les Charmes, les Gouttes d'Or, les Bouchères or les Tessons, this "Appellation" was classed as "première cuvée" in 1855 by Docteur Lavalle (Histoire et Statistiques de la vigne et des grands vins de la Côte d'Or).

Poruzots : The Bouchard Père & Fils estate represents 0.44 ha. of the appellation situated between the "Climat" of les Bouchères to the North and les Genevrières to the South. Mainly chalk, the ground gives birth to wines with a very fine, elegant bouquet, revealing intense notes of linden and dried flowers.

Le Poruzot

Les Bouchères : Bouchard Père & Fils owns some 0.38 ha. of this appellation where the ground is similar to Genevrières and les Gouttes d'Or. Situated above les Poruzots, this Premier Cru is usually more silky than its neighbour, developing roundness and strength.

Les Gouttes d'Or : The 0.55 ha. here, i.e. 10 % of the appellation, complete the wide range of Bouchard Père & Fils estate Meursault Premiers Crus. As its names indicates, this "Appellation" produces wines particularly golden in colour, as rich and mellow as you could wish without being at all heavy. In the 18th century, the President of the United Sates, Thomas Jefferson, was a good customer for this "Climat".

Legendary appellations … as early as Cistercian times, exceptional white wines were produced here. Just as in 1110 the Cistercian monks received the vines in Clos Vougeot, the monks were given some vineyards here in 1098 when the Cîteaux monastery was created,. In the book by Courtepée (Description historique et topographique du Duché de Bourgogne - 1775-1788) one can read that, in 1168, Sybille, son of Hugues de Bourgogne donated some vineyards in "Murissalt". More recently, the French film director, Gérard Oury, set a scene of his film "La Grande Vadrouille" (1966) in the Village and the castle.

The ground in Meursault varies greatly from one place to another. Sometimes one finds stony, chalky ground, (les Perrières "Climat"), sometimes chalky clay (les Charmes) or chalk and marl(les Gouttes d'Or) and even gravely chalk with clay (les Genevrières). Thus the different localities in Meursault give incomparable diversity and richness even though the exposure to the sun is globally homogeneous.

In the Village "Appellation", some "Climats" also have a personality of their own. For example, the wines from les Clous, of which the sub soil is similar to that of the Premiers Crus, are generally very open on the nose and subtle and livery on the palate (the Bouchard Père & Fils estate covers 8 hectares on this "Climat").

One would call the red wines produced here fine rather than powerful.

Photographic credit : Dominique Pernin