1994 Dominique Laurent Meursault

Dominique Laurent is a former pastry chef who started a small negociant business in Nuits-Saint-Georges, in Burgundy’s Cote d’Or, in the late 1980s. He produced his first vintages a few years later, and quickly developed a reputation for making very small quantities of excellent wine sourced from old vineyards. In 2006 Laurent made the leap from negociant to grower with the purchase of a few acres of vineyards. Today Domaine Laurent Pere et Fils owns 23 acres in Nuits-Saint-Georges. He is known for his extreme approach to “hands-off” winemaking, and for his habit of sometimes using “200% new oak,” meaning that one cuvee is sometimes transferred twice to new oak barrels. About 30,000 bottles are produced annually and his wines have earned cult status with some Burgundy collectors.

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.