Meursault-Charmes Premier Cru, Sans Sulfite Ajouté AOC 2022

Crystalline clarity and vibrant energy define this premier cru. The 13.5% ABV carries a juicy mid-palate without weighing it down. Because no sulphites are added during ageing, the wine remains transparent right down to the limestone soil of the Charmes vineyard.

Charmes is a premier cru vineyard of Meursault in the Côte de Beaune, where Chardonnay grows on limestone-rich soil. Pierre-Henri Rougeot farms 12.6 hectares across plots in Meursault, Volnay and Pommard, organic-certified since 2020 and in Demeter conversion since 2021. Work is done by hand, with only minimal use of tractors. Ageing takes place in 18th-century cellars originally built for the Hospices de Beaune.

Pure Chardonnay, spontaneously fermented with its own yeasts. Ageing takes place in 228-litre Burgundy barrels with a low proportion of new oak, without bâtonnage and without any addition of sulphites throughout the entire ageing process. Bottled unfined and unfiltered.

The fruit stays precise: ripe lemon, white peach, along with acacia blossom and a buttery note reminiscent of fresh hazelnut. The acidity keeps everything in tension, and the finish trails off chalky and saline.

Creamy texture and taut acidity pair well with sole in butter, lobster or roast chicken with morels. The wine also has enough length for Comté and Époisses.

In 2016, Pierre-Henri Rougeot ended the estate's supermarket business to focus on quality wines. The diagonally striped labels identify his cuvées aged without added sulphites.