Harvest is in full swing in Burgundy. Yesterday we visited the Côte d’Or, where the air is alive with the fragrance of grapes and the chatter of busy harvesters. Most of this year’s white grape harvest has finished, and the grapes have begun their journey to becoming wine.
“If gold were a flavor,” Matt Kramer once wrote, “it would taste like Meursault.” Though it has no Grand Cru, the wines of Meursault are some of the most sought after in the world. For most, the name recalls white Burgundies of decadence, opulence, and style.
The wines of Meursault may be popular today, but it’s hard to describe them as a passing fad. The monks of Citeaux first planted vines there in 1098, and over the last nine centuries the village has proudly earned its glowing reputation. Though it has no Grand Cru vineyards, Meursault’s wines are among the most sought after in the world.
Chardonnay is responsible for all of Burgundy’s finest white wines. But 10% of white wine vineyards in Burgundy are Aligoté, a less celebrated grape that produces simple, refreshing wines. Aligoté is seldom magnificent, but in the hands of the right winemaker it can be delicious.
If you ever need to convert someone to white Burgundy, pour them a glass of Meursault. Made from pure Chardonnay and grown in soils balanced between marl and chalk, Meursault is some of most opulent white wine in the world. Chardonnay can make rich, mouthfilling wines in most locations -- but those from Meursault also contain elegance, minerality, and balance.
“If gold were a flavor,” Matt Kramer once wrote, “it would taste like Meursault.” Though it has no Grand Cru, the wines of Meursault are some of the most sought after in the world. For most, the name recalls white Burgundies of decadence, opulence, and style. Stretching across nearly 1000 acres, Meursault also spans a […]
The wines of Meursault may be popular today, but it’s hard to describe them as a passing fad. The monks of Citeaux first planted vines there in 1098, and over the last nine centuries the village has proudly earned its glowing reputation.Though it has no Grand Cru vineyards, Meursault’s wines are among the most sought after in the world.
We spent years in search of a nice Aligoté. Forever in the shadow of the finest Chardonnays in the world, Burgundy’s “other white grape” is neither profound nor expensive. Most of our searches yielded disappointment: wines with too much acid, too little body, or both.