Meursault-Charmes Premier Cru AOC 2022

A Chardonnay of crystalline minerality that favours clarity over opulence. Ripe lemon and yellow apple stand alongside white blossom, underscored by a chalky note that carries through the whole length.

The grapes come from the Charmes premier cru vineyard in Meursault. Pierre-Henri Rougeot farms 12.6 hectares with parcels in Meursault, Volnay and Pommard, and converted the entire estate to quality-focused viticulture in 2016. He works biodynamically, tending the vines almost entirely by hand, with only minimal use of a tractor. His conviction: there can be no good wine from poor soil.

Pure Chardonnay, aged in the 18th-century cellars originally built for the Hospices de Beaune. Fermentation happens spontaneously with the estate's own yeasts, and the wine matures in 228-litre Burgundy barrels with a deliberately low proportion of new oak. There is no bâtonnage, and the wine is neither filtered nor fined. No sulphur is added throughout the entire ageing process; bottling is decided by Rougeot depending on the vintage.

The wine is linear and focused, carried by a vibrant acidity. The saline character lingers through the long finish, while the transparency of the vineyard site remains unobscured.

Pairs beautifully with pan-seared scallops, turbot with linseed butter or Bresse chicken in cream sauce. A mature Comté also works well.

The estate's diagonally striped labels identify the cuvées aged without sulphur. 13.5% vol., dry.