Patrick Javillier : Meursault Village "Cuvée Tête de Murger" 2021

Tasting Notes and Serving Tips for Patrick Javillier’s Meursault Village “Cuvée Tête de Murger” 2021

Tasting

Appearance

The wine displays a pale yellow color with brilliant golden highlights.

Nose

The nose is expressive and complex, dominated by white-flower aromas that are the hallmark of the appellation. It also reveals notes of yellow and white fruits such as ripe pear and stone fruits, complemented by subtly spicy nuances. The overall impression is one of great elegance and finesse.

Palate

On the palate, this wine is round and elegant, with a creamy, silky texture. This roundness is balanced by lively freshness and remarkable aromatic lift. Minerality is ever-present, bringing a crystalline finesse that structures the wine and gives it depth. The finish is long and persistent, marked by a delightful fruity intensity and delicate floral aromas.

Food and wine pairings

This Meursault 2021 pairs beautifully with delicate fish and refined seafood such as oysters, grilled scallops, or lobster in a cream sauce. It also complements delicately prepared poultry, white meats, and soft cheeses such as brie or goat cheeses. Mushroom- and truffle-based dishes also make excellent pairings.

Serving and cellaring

To fully appreciate the aromatic complexity of this Meursault 2021, it is recommended to serve it at a temperature between 11 and 13°C. A brief decanting of around thirty minutes will allow the aromas to open gradually. This wine can be enjoyed now to appreciate its vibrant freshness, but it will benefit from three to five years of cellaring to reach its peak, or even until around 2031 for blended cuvées.

A Meursault Village Combining Freshness and Expression of the Burgundy Terroir

The estate

Domaine Patrick Javillier was founded in 1974 when Patrick Javillier, who holds a degree in oenology from the University of Dijon, took over the family estate started by his father Raymond in 1945. Today, Patrick Javillier remains at the helm of the estate alongside his children Marion and Laurène, as well as Pierre-Emmanuel Lamy, his son-in-law. The estate spans around eleven hectares across five communes in the Côte de Beaune and covers fourteen distinct appellations. High Environmental Value (HVE) certified, the estate practices sustainable viticulture with respect for biodiversity.

The vineyard

This Meursault comes from plots located in the heart of the Meursault appellation, a commune in the Côte de Beaune with a vineyard of around four hundred hectares producing primarily white wines. The Chardonnay vines thrive on limestone soils that give the wines their crystalline minerality and distinctive finesse. Harvesting is carried out exclusively by hand, allowing for meticulous grape selection and optimal control over the quality of the fruit picked.

The vintage

The 2021 vintage was an exceptionally challenging year for Burgundy, marked by catastrophic yield losses ranging from 50 to 80% depending on the plots. An episode of winter frost of rare intensity affected the entire French vineyard, followed by milder spring conditions that encouraged flowering at the end of May. June and July were particularly rainy, with weather instability observed from mid-July to mid-August. Despite these unfavorable conditions, the harvested grapes made it possible to produce wines that are fresh and beautifully expressive aromatically.

Winemaking and aging

The grapes for this Meursault 2021 are sorted in the vineyard before harvest to ensure maximum quality. After being transported to the cellar, they are pressed using a pneumatic press that preserves the finesse of the juice. The must is clarified before being transferred to oak barrels for fermentation. Alcoholic fermentation is carried out entirely with the vineyard’s indigenous yeasts, naturally followed by malolactic fermentation. Aging takes place in oak barrels for sixteen to eighteen months, with regular bâtonnage depending on the characteristics of the vintage. The wine is then bottled at the estate with minimal fining and filtration.

Grape variety

100% chardonnay