Meursault 1e cru ‘Charmes‘ - Chardonnay BM

Chardonnay | 1er Cru wijngaard | Charmes | een van de topwijngaarden van Meursault | klei en limestone terroir | vergist en gerijpt op eikenhout, 20% nieuw | daarna 6 maanden rijpen op rvs | goede zuurgraad | lang | top-Meursault

Ballot-Millot

Familiedomein in één van de bekendste wijngebieden in de Bourgogne, Meursault. Sinds de 17e eeuw volgen de generaties elkaar hier op. Sinds 2001 staat Charles Ballot aan het roer. Hij is heel snel op weg naar de absolute top van witte Bourgognemakers. Traditie en innovatie zijn hier 2 sleutelwoorden. Respect voor 'terroir' en moderne technieken en materialen zorgen voor de allerbeste kwaliteit wijn. Traditionele cultuur, volledige vergisting op hout, lage rendementen. De weg naar volledige biologische teelt is ingezet.

Review

The 2017 Meursault 1er Cru Charmes derives from an optimally located parcel that's surrounded by the holdings of Domaine des Comtes Lafon and Domaine Tessier. Displaying notes of crisp Anjou pear, green apple, warm pastry and a subtle touch of reduction, the wine is medium to full-bodied, concentrated and elegantly muscular, with lively acids and a long, precise finish. 93+/100 William Kelly

This was my first visit to Domaine Ballot-Millot, where Charles Ballot is producing serious wines, old-fashioned in the best sense, that deserve to be better known. Ballot told me that he generally presses whole bunches without crushing, his press cycle lasting three-and-a-half hours with some 15 rotations. Débourbage is brief to non-existent, and the wines go to barrel without addition of yeasts, enzymes or anything else. After 12 months in wood (from Tonnelleries Damy and Billon), they are fined in the event of any protein instability and remain in tank to digest any dissolved oxygen before bottling in January or February. The result is textural, structured wines with lovely cut and concentration that often display a gently reductive personality. Everything I tasted comes recommended.