Jean-Michel Gaunoux, Meursault Premier Cru, Perrieres Blanc, Burgundy

An introduction to Jean-Michel Gaunoux, Meursault Premier Cru, Perrieres Blanc, Burgundy

The Premier Cru Perrières by Jean-Michel Gaunoux is sourced from a 0.6-hectare plot of Chardonnay vines planted in the Premier Cru Perrières vineyard, just north of the village of Meursault. Often considered to be the true ‘Grand Cru’ level climat of the village, the limestone rich soil of the vineyard, littered with large pebbles that reflect sunlight back into the vine canopies, produces wines of great length, endurance and minerality. This cuvée by Jean-Michel Gaunoux is the cornerstone of his portfolio, showing a powerful presence on the palate that is lengthened by the steeliness so characteristic of this famous terroir.

Performance

Understanding Jean-Michel Gaunoux, Meursault Premier Cru, Perrieres Blanc, Burgundy

Jean-Michel’s vines in the Perrières vineyard were planted in 1980, and are farmed sustainably without herbicides. Most of the vineyard work is carried out manually to avoid soil compaction by machinery passage, and to promote soil aeration. The grapes are hand-harvested and fermented with indigenous yeast in mostly neutral French oak barrels, 20% of which are new. The wine undergoes full malolactic fermentation and maturation in the same casks for approximately 12 months prior to bottling with only minimal sulfur dioxide and without fining and filtration. The result is a grand and complex wine that balances ample fruit character with a delicate minerality, showing notes of lemon tart, beeswax and bosc pear. The wine has great tension on the mid-palate, with structure and acidity enough to evolve constructively in the cellar over the course of several decades.

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