Tasted in Meursault with Marion Javillier, the 22 October, 2018.

Domaine Javillier
9 Rue des Forges
21190 Meursault
Tel: +33 3 80 21 27 87
www.patrickjavillier.com

Marion on 2018:
“With 2018 I’m very happy in the context of quantity and really nice clean grapes. We started our harvest a little late versus many – 03 September – so later than in 2017. I’m happy to have three levels of barrels stacked in the cellar for second consecutive vintage!”
​
Marion on 2017:
“2017 is very Bourguignone – an early vintage but not particularly a vintage of the sun. There’s concentration but balance – and it goes without saying that I’m very happy not to have been touched by the frost this year! I would say that it’s a normal volume, but the previous time that we had ‘normal’ was in 2011! We had to work hard to keep a proper yield including green harvesting this year. I think the reds excellent in 2017 – they are very pinot in fact they are exactly what I look for in pinot – I’m very happy.​”

The wines…

I asked Marion about cork vs DIAM – “We’re testing DIAM but not all tests are finished yet – I do think that the reds close too much after bottling with DIAM though​”

For me it’s the usual suspects that shone this year – but it’s a great selection as the average quality is very high – the reds are not deeply coloured, but they are certainly delicious.

Starting with reds, they are in tank and will probably be bottled in November:
​
​2017 Savigny-lès-Beaune Les Grands Liards
Modest colour. Round, inviting, complex nose – directly attractive. Supple, round, fine depth of flavour, layered – a great buy! Long too…

2017 Aloxe-Corton
Probably bottle all reds at the same time. All were fully destemmed
Another modestly coloured wine. A narrower nose but of depth and with a floral accent above. Touch of gas still, more energy and intensity. More tannin too though nothing aggressive. Mineral impression. Less together than the Savigny but still more of everything. Including length…​

​2017 Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Les Serpentières
Hmm, transparent, pure aroma, more bass notes. Fresh, wide, more depth of fine flavour. Pure and delicious really back-end loaded for flavour. Great finishing…

Les blancs:
​We start with two wines that are already bottled for whites – bottled 2 weeks ago. This was just a small first bottling, the rest will be done in January.

2017 Bourgogne Côte d’Or Cuvée des Forgets​
To be bottled in January, now on tank
A big bright, bouncy and inviting nose. Some gas, but there is volume, good texture, and an insinuating depth of higher quality than usual Bourgogne flavour. Vibrant and lovely finishing. Excellent.​

2017 Savigny-Lès-Beaune Les Montchenevoy
Bottled last week
A more open nose, plenty of freshness and fine clarity here. A little oak padding but not too much oak flavour. Good energy and complexity, really an engaging complexity, plenty of agrume fruit here – delicious again!​

2017 Meursault Clos du Cromin ​
Also bottled with the cuvée Oligocene – so three weeks ago…
More depth of aroma – clean, pure again, perhaps with a touch if green fruit – lime. Full, complex, a little more structural and certainly more volume, rich but fresh – a very tasty combination. Modestly lingering – upfront, delicious wine.

2017 Meursault Tillets​
In bottle for two weeks
A deeply floral, perfumed nose. Direct, concentrated, excellently structural – almost architectural wine. I love the shape, open-ness and modestly mineral impression. Long, lingering flavour, faintly ginger-spiced. Really excellent.

2017 Meursault Tête de Murger
A blend of two vineyards. Also one week in bottle.
A broader nose, fresh, wide, more herb included here. More direct, a beautiful line, melting, becoming more intense. Hmm, very attractive but also more to wait for. This wine I’d wait a couple of years for, but there’s a super line and depth of texture to go with the intensity… A fine mouth-watering finish too.
​
The Corton-Charlemagne was just racked, so wasn’t shown, but there is a cuvée!