Description
Domaine Bernard Millot, Bourgogne Blanc
“Meursault from a high-quality producer,” I exclaimed after smelling today’s wine. My colleague grinned and revealed the label: “Bourgogne Chardonnay” from Domaine Bernard Millot. I was stunned, and not just because I had “overvalued” the wine. Something that drinks far beyond its price tag is always worth celebrating—but a “mere” Bourgogne Blanc surely cannot taste this profound and layered at $32, right? To find the answer, I dug deeper by ringing up Millot’s boutique importer. Lo and behold, the raw material in today’s exceptional Burgundy is premium Chardonnay entirely within the confines of Meursault. How amazing is that?
Despite the superior pedigree and myriad cult labels that have staked claims in this world-famous village, Bernard Millot has created entry-level liquid gold for pennies on the dollar. And yet they, too, have an impressively long and noble lineage: The Millot family has been farming in Meursault for more than 300 years without pause! Combine that incomparable expertise with traditionalist winemaking and a vintage that some growers have compared to legendary ‘47, and a certifiably value-shattering white Burgundy emerges. If you’re a Côte de Beaune aficionado hunting for affordable treasures, Millot’s 2018 is specifically tailored for you. The best part? We can (temporarily) allow case purchases today!
Since the advent of the 18th century, the Millot family has avidly farmed small slices of vines in the epicenter of Côte de Beaune, and have since built up their holdings to a whopping grand total of eight hectares in the villages of Meursault, Puligny Montrachet, and Beaune. Currently run by namesake Bernard and his son, Emilien, this father-son duo works tirelessly to farm sustainably, harvest by hand, and raise their wine traditionally in the family’s subterranean cellar. In short, their back-breaking work emulates that of their ancestors.
They have a number of different parcels throughout Meursault, and today’s Bourgogne Chardonnay is sourced from their 15-25-year-old vines buried in rocky, limestone-heavy soils. For all intents and purposes, you can call today’s extraordinary value a young-vine Meursault! The Millots are constantly in the vineyard throughout the growing season—they generally make seven passes—and come harvest, roughly 20 people are hired in order to suit their manual-harvesting needs. In the winery, the grapes are gently pressed and allowed to settle for one day. Following, the juice is transferred via gravity into once-used French barrels where a natural, ambient-yeast fermentation occurs. Malolactic fermentation is also allowed to occur naturally. After one year in these barrels, along with a consistent lees stirring regimen (bâtonnage), the wine is transferred into stainless steel tanks for a quick respite.
Because of their judicious use of oak and a brief rest in stainless steel to “tighten” the wine up, Millot’s wines deliver incredible opulence and mouthwatering precision no matter the appellation on the label. But, if you want delicious texture, subtle power, mouthwatering tension in your white Burgundy on the cheap, you can hardly do better than this $32 stunner. Given 15-30 minutes in a decanter, today’s 2018 Bourgogne Blanc opens up with vibrant notes of yellow peach, ripe yellow apples, underripe pineapple, citrus blossoms, salt-preserved lemon, crushed rock, lees, honey on toast, almonds, vanilla bean, and a hint of baking spice. The palate is full of bright, just-ripened notes of yellow citrus and orchard fruits, all while bursting with acidity and Burgundy’s crushed mineral/fossil imprint. It’s an absolute joy to drink, and it just might have you exclaiming “Meursault” too! Enjoy now and over the next 2-5 years. Cheers!
