2017 Alex Gambal Meursault Les Narvaux

Alex Gambal is a domaine in Beaune founded in 1997 by Alex Gambal, an American. Gambal was helping run his family’s parking lot enterprise in Washington D.C. in the 1990s when he and his wife first visited France and became entranced with Burgundy and Pinot Noir. In 1993 he spent a year as an apprentice to a Beaune wine broker and in 1998 he made his first Burgundy from purchased pressed juice. In 2003 Gambal bought vineyards and now uses his own grapes to make very limited quantities of Grand Cru, Premier Cru and Bourgogne Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Gambal’s wines have routinely earned compliments from reviewers including Robert M. Parker Jr., who notes that Gambal is “producing increasingly good wines.”

Meursault is one of the trio of famous Chardonnay producing appellations in the Côte d’Or. Although both red and white wines are allowed to be produced in the Meursault appellation, 98% of Meursault is Chardonnay. With a total of 2,500 acres of vineyards, there are no Grands Crus but 325 acres of Premiers Crus, which are divided into 13 main vineyards. As wine writers have often noted, Meursault’s fame is based on its Premiers Crus, including the prestigious Les Perrières, Les Genevrières and Les Charmes. Because the water table is low in Meursault, many producers have cellars here, including Comte Lafon and Jean-Francois Coche-Dury. Robert M. Parker Jr. wrote “the Premiers Crus, as well as the finest Villages Meursaults from the top vineyards, are among the easiest drinking white burgundies in the world. Why? High-quality Meursault is opulent, almost unctuous, with a fatness and a juicy, succulent, buttery, hazelnut and apple, peach-like fruitiness that often roars from the glass.”

This white variety originated in Burgundy, but is now grown around the world. Its flexibility to thrive in many regions translates to wide flavor profile in the market. Chardonnay is commonly used in making Champagne and sparkling wines.