France Meursault
About halfway between Beaune and Sante nay lies Meursault. Radiating outwards from the main square on top of the hill, roads lead to Monthelie and Volnay, to Auxey and Saint-Romain, through vineyards to nearby Puligny or by more arterial connection to Autun and Chalon.
Immobile, at the centre of all this to-ing and fro-ing, is Meursaults solidly gothic town hall with its multi-coloured enamelled roof, from where the affairs of the commune's 1,700 inhabitants are administered, vineyards bought and sold, harvests declared and marriages solemnised.
The village reeks of prosperity, mostly derived from wine, but tangentially from the services it provides - shops, a cluster of hotels, a basic but welcome public lavatory, and several restaurants await the tourist or weary buyer. Meursault is a place for wandering; attractive narrow streets leading to small courtyards, or into the vineyards, contrast with broader thoroughfares syphoning off heavier traffic to more exotic destinations.
The imposing Chateau de Meursault, standing among its own vines, is also worth visiting, especially as the entry fee allows you to amble through its splendid cellars and to taste ad volente. With some 170,000 cases to dispose of annually, not surprisingly many of the village's 170 vignerons rely heavily on 'vente directe' - proclaiming their existence with elaborate signs.
The commune, divided into Village land (304.94 ha) and Premiers Crus (131.88 ha), is the largest producer of fine white wine in the Cote. The standard is generally high, with a handful of top growers producing superlative wines.
Pinot Noir accounts for about 6,000 cases per year from 3 separate ACs: Meursault Rouge (and Premier Cru), Blagny (and Premier Cru) and Volnay-Santenots. Each has its designated vineyards - Blagny's two vineyards surrounding a picturesque hamlet which is divided between Meursault and Puligny, and the Volnays coming from an administrative hiccup of six vineyards at Meursault's northern boundary. In ripe years, the reds are fleshy, soft and attractively perfumed, with those who destalk invariably more successful than those who do not.
Administrative buffoonery extends its confusion to Meursault's whites. Chardonnay planted in Volnay-Santenots makes Meursault Santenots (premier Cru) or plain. Meursault, whilst that from Blagny becomes Meursault-Blagny (premier Cru) or straight Meursault, depending upon its precise provenance.
Several of the village climats, while not Premiers Crus, are becoming sufficiently known to appear on labels. Among the best are: Clos de la Barre, Limouzin, En Luraule, Charrons, Narvaux, Tillets, Rougeots, Luchets, Chevalieres, Casse- Tetes, Vireuils and Meix Chavaux. Whilst these vineyards extend almost from top to bottom of the limestone escarpment, bounded below by the RN74 and above by woods, the principal Premiers Crus lie on south-east-facing slopes to the south of the village. A lone pair - Les Cras and Les Caillerets - stare across the Volnay border, above Les Santenots Blancs.
Of the 6 principal Premiers Crus, four Charmes, Poruzots, Genevrieres and Perrieres - are subdivided into two or more climats, the quality and qualities of each differing enough to justify a distinction. Dramatic soil variation within this narrow band, and experience, has evolved what amounts to an informal hierarchy. With the constant proviso that the vigneron's contribution can submerge that of the vineyard, the dominant character of each Premier Cru can be broadly described.
At the northern extremity, Boucheres (4.41 ha) and Gouttes d'Or (5.33 ha) produce wines of less finesse but fuller structure than the rest. They last well, without developing the complexity of, for example, a great Genevrieres or Charmes.
Next in rank, Charmes, the largest Premier Cru, at 31.12 ha, occupies most of the slope's vertical extent. Effectively in three sections, the lower two - Charmes-Dessoushave richer soil and make broader, fuller wine, whilst the upper 14.27 ha, CharmesDessus, produces wine of complexity and rondeur, often with a curiously soft, minerally undertone. The wine exemplifies its name.
Poruzots (11.43 ha) is also tripartite:
Poruzots, Poruzots-Dessus and the tiny Poruzots-Dessous - are all on sloping stony soil, giving wine with a strongly flinty bouquet and relatively high natural acidity. Genevrieres (16.05 ha), divided into Dessus and Dessous, is quintessential Meursault -lime-blossom, honey and nuts on the nose, long and subtle on the palate. Finally, Perrieres (12.91 ha), divided into Perrieres Dessous, Clos des Perrieres, Aux Perrieres and Perrieres Dessus, and adjoin¬ing, like Charmes, the commune of Pulignysits on limestone, with an overlay of heat reflecting stones. From here come the finest Meursaults - steely, yet rich and elegant, full of body and backbone, less forthcoming when young but with time, developing a majestic aristocracy. More of the understated Puligny, than the warm Meursault accessibility, a mature Perrieres is a fine experience.
Although home to a wealth of fine winemaking, Meursault's vignerons vary widely in style and competence. An apparently insatiable demand in the 1970s and 1980s led many to overgenerous pruning and excessive yields. Unfortunately, far too many dilute, weedy wines still appear as Meursault and Premier Cru - flat, flabby, over-sulphured and cardboardy wines which discredit this noble Appellation. A fine Meursault should have concentration, grip and backbone, in addition to its natural open, 'peaches and oatmeal' tones, characterised by Harry Yoxall as 'ingratiatingly soft'.
On the Cote's broader canvas, Meursault is renowned for the feast it provides each November during Les Trois Glorieuses, on the Monday following the Hospices auction. The Paulee is a magnificent lunch, to which the commune's growers invite friends and customers. No wine is provided, but 'according to tradition ... each brings his bottle'. This amounts to a gargantuan bottle party, lasting well into the afternoon, with venerable wines passing from table to table as guests and hosts taste each other's offerings. The Paulee is by far the most relaxed gathering of the entire Burgundian year and a splendid tribute to the spirit and purpose of wine.
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