Patrick Javillier : Meursault Village "Cuvée Tête de Murger" 2020

Tasting notes and serving tips for the Meursault Village "Cuvée Tête de Murger" 2020 from Patrick Javillier

Tasting

Appearance
The wine displays a yellow hue with brilliant highlights.

Nose
The nose shows great finesse, with precise aromas of white fruits, notably citrus notes (lemon, grapefruit), white peach and apple. Delicate floral touches of acacia and hawthorn round out the bouquet, while a distinctive mineral dimension reminiscent of gunflint adds complexity.

Palate
On the palate, this Meursault 2020 charms with its excellent volume and richness. The texture is round and harmonious, with an even more pronounced minerality that gives structure to the whole. The palate reveals flavors of hazelnut, almond and honey, enhanced by a fine concentration of dry extract that lends the wine a taut structure and remarkable definition. The complex, beautifully persistent finish expresses a focused power.

Food and wine pairings
This Meursault 2020 pairs perfectly with delicate poultry dishes, notably chicken in cream sauce. It also matches very well with fish in a buttery sauce, shellfish such as lobster and langoustine, as well as aged cheeses like Comté or Gruyère. Veal dishes with mushrooms and cream also make for a harmonious pairing.

Serving and cellaring
This Meursault 2020 is best enjoyed at a temperature between 11 and 13°C. The wine will benefit from five to eight years of cellaring to reach its peak and can be kept until around 2033.

A Meursault marked by minerality and refinement

The estate
Domaine Patrick Javillier was founded in 1974, when Patrick Javillier, a graduate in oenology from the University of Dijon, took over the family estate established by his father Raymond in 1945. Today, Patrick Javillier still runs 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 of the Côte de Beaune and covers fourteen distinct appellations. Certified Haute Valeur Environnementale, the estate practices sustainable viticulture with respect for biodiversity.

The vineyard
This Meursault comes from several plots located in the namesake village, in the heart of the Côte de Beaune in Burgundy. The vines grow on marl-limestone soils with a south-easterly exposure, offering ideal conditions for Chardonnay to thrive. The plots that make up this cuvée include, in particular, Les Clousots and Les Tillets, each bringing its own expression of the terroir. Vine age varies, with some plots featuring vines over forty years old. Harvesting is carried out by hand, allowing for rigorous selection of grapes at optimal ripeness.

The vintage
The 2020 vintage in Burgundy was marked by an exceptionally mild winter followed by a warm spring that triggered early budbreak, nearly three weeks ahead of 2019. Summer proved particularly hot and dry, with sporadic rainfall in June and July insufficient to avoid moderate water stress in the vines. Fortunately, relatively cool nights at the end of summer and the beginning of autumn helped preserve the grapes’ acidity while reaching fine ripeness. For whites, 2020 delivered generous quality with an excellent balance between acidity and concentration. Marion Javillier described 2020 as an excellent vintage, delivering reasonable quantities and fine quality in both white and red.

Winemaking and ageing
The grapes for this Meursault 2020 are pneumatically pressed after harvest, then the juice undergoes natural settling before fermentation. Vinification takes place in oak barrels, with each plot vinified separately, and even each barrel individually. Alcoholic fermentation is followed by spontaneous malolactic fermentation. The wines are then aged on fine lees for around seventeen to eighteen months, with regular bâtonnage to enrich the texture. The proportion of new oak is around 25 to 30%. The final blend only takes place after this long ageing period, allowing Patrick Javillier to marry the different plot expressions. The wine is bottled with minimal filtration and fining.

Grape variety
100% Chardonnay