Meursault 1er Cru Les Genevrières AOC 2023 1500ml Magnum

The Meursault 1er Cru Les Genevrières 2023 from Rémi Jobard is a Chardonnay from Burgundy that combines restraint and tension. The nose stays ethereal and almost still at first, a floral top note above a saline base note. As the temperature rises, citrus, cool sea air and white blossom emerge.

Les Genevrières lies south of the village of Meursault, below the climats Perrières and Charmes, at 260 to 300 metres altitude with a south-east exposure. The soil is stony limestone marl with fine gravel and pebbles. The vineyard takes its name from the juniper bushes that once grew here; Jobard's old vines deliver that taut minerality.

Pure Chardonnay, selectively hand-harvested. In the domaine's cellar, pressing takes at least six hours, often the entire night for grapes picked in the afternoon, so that only the finest must goes into the wine. Fermentation proceeds spontaneously with indigenous yeasts. The wine ages for around twelve months in large Stockinger casks and used pièces, no more than 20 percent of them new, followed by six months in stainless steel tank. It is bottled unfiltered and with minimal sulphur.

Dense and powerful, with a surface tension that carries more than the volume would suggest. The vertical, crystalline acidity sets the pace and draws a sharp contour. The finish is long and citrus-saline, with an impression of wild fennel pollen.

The domaine has worked without artificial fertilisers and pesticides since 1994, and without herbicides since 1998; the vine rows are worked by hand and cover-cropped, and cordon pruning keeps yields low. The wines gain stability through two winters of ageing rather than technical intervention. The magnum format slows the wine's development further. 13.5% ABV, dry.