Meursault Study at Wine Watch Wine Bar

Look I eat really well and I work out, but I also indulge when I want to. I don't starve myself in an extremist way. You're not taking away my coffee or my dairy or my glass of wine because I'd be devastated.

Jennifer Aniston

And I would be devastated if you took away my white Burgundy!  This tasting is a study in one of the big 3 of the Côte de Beaune.  Puligny Montrachet, Chassagne Montrachet and Meursault are the three top appellations in Burgundy’s Cotes De Beaune which is the best dirt on the planet Earth for the Chardonnay and Pinot Noir varietals.  Meursault is the bastard stepchild of the three as it has no Grand Cru vineyards but some would argue that the top premier crus like Genevrieres, Charmes and Perrieres are as close to Grand cru as you can get on the golden slopes of Burgundy.

We need a few Meursault soldiers to take down these 10 top level Meursault including two vintages of the legendary Domaine Coche Dury’s premier cru and Domaine Des Comtes Lafon along with several other premier crus from great producers.  This is a “Once in a Lifetime” study in Meursaults best wines and of course Toni will be making a special degustation menu to complement the wines.  The fee for this tasting is about ¼ the price of one bottle of the Coche at $250 + tax per person!!  This is a seated tasting and there are only 14 spaces available for this event.  For reservations call 954-523-9463 or email andy@winewatch.com

Meursault is an Appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) in the Côte de Beaune subregion of the Burgundy wine region and along with Chassagne Montrachet and Puligny Montrachet it is considered to be the top terroir or dirt in all of the world for the Chardonnay varietal.  It lies along the foot of the Côte-d'Or escarpment, around Beaune and with the broad Saône valley plain to its east.  Meursault produces mainly white wines from Chardonnay grapes, of the big three Meursault is the most powerful and I like to say it is the most Californiaesque of all.  Meursault may have a bit of an identity problem there are some Premier Cru vineyards, but no Grand Cru.

Meursault is situated on a prehistoric settlement once called Mont Mélian established as a Gallo-Roman camp.  The old Roman Fort remains are still visible on the hill (known and signposted as "La Montagne") above the village. The name of Meursault derives from muris saltus, the "mouse-leap" stream of the Ruisseau des Cloux, so named by the Roman soldiers.

Super Meursault Study at Wine Watch Wine Bar
Friday, August 11th
7:30pm

1996 Verget Meursault les Charmes 1er Cru
Price: $50.00    Your Price: $44.00
Quantity in Stock: 2

A great vintage in Burgundy and this wine has an average score of 90.7 on cellartracker.

1999 Domaine Des Comtes Lafon Meursault Genevrieres Premier Cru
Price: $395.00        Sale $347.60
Quantity in Stock: 3

This is one of the historic Domaines of Burgundy and Dominique Lafon took over from his father in 1984, initially with his brother Bruno.  In 1987, he gradually terminated the existing sharecropping agreements (9 year leases). Since when, the entire Estate of 13.80 hectares has been managed solely by the Domaine des Comtes Lafon.

Meursault  is  the  centre  of  the  four  communes  (Meursault,  Blagny,  Chassagne and Puligny) comprising that part of the Côte de Beaune known as the Côte des Blancs,  named for the quality and predominance of its white wines.

The  vineyards  are  spread  over  gentle  slopes,  between  230  and  360  meters  above sea level. The eastern orientation is ideal, allowing maximum sunlight.  Chalky soils with white marl is best suited to the Chardonnay grape.  The Premier Cru Meursault  Genevrières"  appellation  applies  to  white  wines
only.

1999 Domaine Des Comtes Lafon Meursault Charmes Premier Cru
Price: $295.00    Your Price: $259.60
Quantity in Stock: 4

(93-94 points) Highly nuanced, musky nose combines lemon, truffle and toasty, charred oak. Big, rich and vibrant; already wonderfully aromatic in the mouth. A large-scaled, layered wine that unfolds slowly and lingers long on the aftertaste. The old-vines component of this wine featured a full 13.8% alcohol with a low pH of 3.18. (10/2001)  Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

2000 Thierry Matrot Meursault Perrieres Premier Cru

2000 Domaine Des Comtes Lafon Meursault Perrieres Premier Cru
Price: $295.00    Your Price: $259.60
Quantity in Stock: 2

(93-96 points) The 2000 Meursault Perrieres exhibits intense smoke and mineral scents, and possesses great aromatic depth. Medium to full-bodied and vinous, this seamless stone and mineral-laden wine is rich, well-balanced, and exceptionally long in the finish. (12/2001)  Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

2000 Domaine Des Comtes Lafon Meursault Charmes Premier Cru

(91-94 Pionts) '(a blend of fruit coming from 35 and 75 year old vines all in Charmes Dessus, which is the best part directly below Perrières and abutting Combettes). Drop dead gorgeous aromas of impeccably pure citrus, hazelnut, brown butter and a trace of toasty oak combine with dramatic, round, intense flavors that display limestone, pear and impressive detail. This offers a finish that is rich, penetrating and prodigiously long. A great Charmes.' (Allen Meadows, Burghound.com)

2001 Michel Colin Meursault Deleger Les Corbins
Price: $59.00    Your Price: $51.92
Quantity in Stock: 8

As the nephew of the great Georges Deléger, Michel Colin inherited part of the Chevenottes vineyard, combining it with holdings from the Colin family’s domaine. Today, he is semi-retired.  He cannot let go completely, thank goodness. He still farms a few, small parcels, three in fact: Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru En Remilly, Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Demoiselles, and Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru.  Though the quantities that we are able to buy of each every year are miniscule, it is always a pleasure to continue to be able to taste wines from a mature master vintner with some of Chardonnay’s greatest terroirs.  All three vineyards are within a stone’s throw of one another, with En Remilly just around the corner on the south side of Chevalier-Montrachet and Puligny Les Demoiselles on the northern edge of Le Montrachet.

2004 Coche Dury Meursault Perrieres 1er Cru

(92 points) Ripe aromas of lime and minerals. Dense and broad but with lovely perfume; smells like a perfectly ripe peach. Impressively fat for a 2004. Finishes full and very long. (ST) (9/2006) Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

2004 Vincent Girardin Meursault Perrieres 1er Cru

(92 points) Captivating nose combines crushed rock, dried lavender and mineral salts. Dense, juicy and tactile, conveying a sweet-yet-dry impression and flavors of marzipan and sweet nuts. Rich but not particularly fat or fruity. In fact, this is classic, stony Perrieres. (9/2006) Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

2005 Domaine Coche Dury Meursault Les Rougeots

One need only speak of Meursault to evoke a myriad of questions regarding the village’s resident icon, Jean-François Coche. He began working in the family vineyards alongside his father, Georges, at the age of fourteen, becoming the third generation of Coches to tend these vines. His marriage to Odile Dury in 1975 added to the family holdings, which lead to the formation of Domaine Coche-Dury. Since then, the enigmatic, modest, Jean-François has only reluctantly accepted the celebrity status of his wines. When asked, he would be most likely say that it is rigor, constant vigilance, and adherence to old-school tradition that makes the wines so special. Jean-François’ heritage seems more closely linked to the studious, farmer-monks that once propagated this area of Burgundy during the Middle Ages than to the stocky Gauls of lore, as his work style is almost hermetical. When Kermit, Coche’s biggest single client, calls for a rendezvous, he is always told, “Only in the evening when I come back from the vines.” Today, his son, Raphaël, has taken the reins with his wife, Charline, and the two continue the family tradition with great reverence.

The Coches farm almost nine hectares of vineyards on minuscule parcels over six communes: Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet, Auxey-Duresses, Monthelie, and Volnay. Approximately half of their holdings are situated around their hometown of Meursault, with their parcels of Bourgogne surrounding the home and winery. Though they are best known for their Chardonnay, they also bottle six exquisite Pinot Noirs. No clones of any kind are planted—an absolute rarity in Burgundy, where cold, humid winters, spontaneous springtime hail storms, and harvest rains all make farming a challenge. Once in the cellar, vinifications are long and traditional, with extended lees contact. This extra time on the lees prevents oxidation and works in tandem with the terrific freshness his grapes achieve. A good proportion of new wood is used, not to influence the taste of the wine, but rather to extend the cellar-aging potential of these pedigreed wines and to serve as a clean slate for perfect fruit. Coche believes strongly that the white wines of Burgundy should have nerve, and his are never among the ripest or highest in alcohol of his colleagues. It is their vibrant acidity, often hidden in the opulence that helps them to age so successfully and predictably. Though their bottlings are extremely limited, any chance to taste the wines of Coche-Dury promises a rare glimpse into some of the greatest vineyard management and winemaking in the world.

Menu

Warm Epoisses puff pastry with nutmeg pear Chutney

White Burgundy Coq au Vin with aromatic herbs

This tasting is $250 per person and is limited to 14 tasters, for reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com