2007 Thierry et Pascale Matrot Monthélie

Thierry et Pascal Matrot is the name of one of the Meursault domaine that has been in the Matrot family for six generations. The estate was called Domaine Joseph Matrot until the early 1960s, when it became domaine Pierre Matrot when Joseph’s son Pierre took over. Pierre’s son Thierry is now in charge, along with his wife Pascale. For legal reasons having to do with inheritance, some wines are still produced under the Pierre Matrot label, though most now are sold under the Domaine Thierry et Pascal Matrot label. Thierry is winemaker for all the wines, and the family domaine includes the couple’s daughters Adele and Elsa, both of whom studied business and viticulture in college. The domaine is comprised of 45 acres and makes Premier Cru and villages red and white wines. Premier Cru parcels are in Saint-Aubin, Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet, and Volnay Santenots, among other sites. Matrot wines earn consistently good reviews and Clive Coates calls the estate “a good address.”

Monthélie is a diminutive appellation of just 450 acres wedged between Volnay and Meursault. The picturesque village of the same name has fewer than 300 inhabitants, all of whom are involved in making wine. The name Monthélie is thought to come from the Celtic phrase “mont-oloye,” meaning an elevation in the road. Both red and white wines can be produced within the Monthélie appellation, though in practice about 85% is Pinot Noir and 15% is Chardonnay. There are no Grands Crus but the appellation has 15 Premiers Crus, in whole or part. Four are relatively new, having been added in 2006. Until 1937, when Monthélie became an official appellation, the wine produced was sold as either Volnay or Pommard. Two of the best-known Premier Cru vineyards are Les Champs Fulliot and Sur la Velle. Robert M. Parker Jr. has written that the best producers of Monthélie reds make “aromatic, graceful, elegant wines.”

This red wine is relatively light and can pair with a wide variety of foods. The grape prefers cooler climates and the wine is most often associated with Burgundy, Champagne and the U.S. west coast. Regional differences make it nearly as fickle as it is flexible.