Domaine Ballot-Millot : Meursault 1er cru "Charmes" 2023

Characteristics and tasting notes of the Meursault 1er Cru "Charmes" 2023 Domaine Ballot-Millot

Tasting

Colour
The colour reveals a pale golden hue, subtly tinged with amber highlights.

Nose
Displaying lovely intensity, the bouquet opens with aromas of dried honey, walnut and crushed stone. With aeration, it reveals delicate floral touches, mineral notes as well as nuances of mandarin peel, all underscored by perfectly integrated oak.

Palate
The attack, marked by flavours of pear and orchard fruit, precedes a mid-palate where a subtly honeyed texture meets a strikingly clear mineral backbone. The whole offers a lovely balance between roundness and freshness, extending into a lingering finish with notes of stone fruit and walnut.

Food and wine pairing

This white wine pairs beautifully with white-fleshed fish, shellfish (grilled langoustines, scallops) or dishes in cream sauce. It also goes very well with roasted poultry with mushrooms, foie gras or pressed-curd cheeses such as Époisses.

Service and storage

Boasting a fine structure, this Meursault 1er Cru "Charmes" 2023 can be cellared for optimal development and will be ready to drink until around 2044.

The elegance and mineral precision of a Meursault Premier Cru

The estate

Located in Burgundy, in the heart of France, Domaine Ballot-Millot traces its origins back to around 1630, when the family made its first vineyard acquisitions. Today, Charles Ballot represents the sixteenth generation at the helm of this ten-hectare estate. Since taking over in the early 2000s, he has led a transition towards organic and biodynamic practices. The estate stands out for its minimal-intervention approach, producing wines renowned for their tension, aromatic purity and mineral expression.

The vineyard

This Meursault comes from the Charmes Dessus plot, ideally situated below Perrières and bordering Puligny-Montrachet. Facing south/south-east, the Chardonnay vines, aged between 40 and 45 years, thrive on deep, loamy soils rich in stones and interspersed with sand. The estate practises severe pruning to limit yields and encourage berry concentration.

The vintage

2023 was marked by intense summer heat and a period of drought. However, timely rainfall in June allowed the vines to continue their growing cycle under good conditions. Early harvesting began on 6 September, yielding berries with fully achieved phenolic ripeness.

Winemaking and aging

For this Meursault 1er Cru "Charmes" 2023, whole bunches are pressed slowly and gently. After light settling, alcoholic and malolactic fermentation take place in French oak barrels (20 to 25% new oak) using indigenous yeasts. Aging continues for twelve months in barrels, with no lees stirring, followed by six months in inert tanks. The wine undergoes light filtration before bottling, which takes place after the second winter.

Grape variety

This wine is made exclusively from Chardonnay.