2020 Michel Bouzereau & Fils Meursault Charmes Les Charmes Dessus

Michel Bouzereau et Fils in Meursault has been in the Bouzereau family for seven generations. Michel ran the estate until the mid-1990s, when his son Jean-Baptiste joined the family venture full-time. Today Jean-Baptiste is in charge and the estate has grown to 27 acres with parcels in Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet, Pommard, Volnay and Beaune. Most of the wines are Premier Cru and 85% are white. Grapes are harvested by hand.

Les Charmes, at 78 acres, is Meursault’s largest Premier Cru vineyard. Like its neighboring Premier Crus, Les Genevrieres and Les Perrieres, is is south of the commune of Meursault and very close to Puligny-Montrachet. Since Meursault lacks a Grand Cru, Meursault’s reputation for excellence is based on the Premier Crus, particularly the whites. Les Charmes abuts Puligny-Montrachet. Burgundy writer Clive Coates writes that “there is an attractive, soft flowery character to a Charmes: peach blossom, delicately nutty, gently honeyed.”

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.