Tasted without Xavier – who had to go to Paris – but in Meursault, 19 April 2023.
Domaine Xavier Monnot
6 rue Docteur Rolland
21190 Meursault
Tel: +33 3 80 21 29 32
More reports for Xavier Monnot
Xavier on 2021:
“In 2021 we ended up with less than half a harvest but it was the regionals and villages that did reasonably okay, it was the premiers that really lost their yield. I exited organic treatments after the start of the year to secure the harvest. This was a warm year but we managed to keep the acidity quite well. There was no new oak used in this vintage. The Bourgognes 20% down in volume the rest 80% so it’s about 60% losses for volume – of course, it’s much more financially. All bottled by the end of 22 – so have at least 3 months in bottle…”
The wines…
Really a great showing from these wines – all different – that’s a great selection in 2021!
All the wines here are sealed with cork, Xavier explains, “I’m not a fan of DIAM. I always think that I can sense the closure when I taste the wines.” The bottles have all been sealed with a grey/blue wax since 2017/2018 too:
Very forward, red fruit – supple, nicely mobile – decently concentrated – super fruit, faintly tannic – that’s a great BG!
2021 Maranges 1er Clos de la Fussière – Monopole
Part on cordon royat – old vines – the rest with a Guyot pruning – the latter more masculine but juicy.
A wider red fruit, less cushioned. In the mouth more direct, sweeping, still fine and long, some slight extra austerity but in a good way – the finish with a hint of cream.
2021 Pommard Les Vignots
South-facing above Les Charmots near Platière – 75% from the 1950s, the rest a recent plantation (2013)
Finer, more airy – the fruit darker with fine clarity. Hmm – that’s got a super texture – starting silky the tannin brings a more velvet impression but not grainy. The finish wide and simply excellent.
2021 Beaune 1er Les Toussants
Plenty of young vines in this cuvée, a little whole cluster too. Cent Vignes is the bottom of the slope, this on the slope between Grèves and Bressandes
Airy, lighter red fruit – great clarity and even a little floral perfume. Hmm – that’s a very comforting wine – a little generosity but open and with super clarity of flavour. Then a breadth of interesting, almost juicy finishing flavour – lovely wine!
2021 Beaune 1er Cent Vignes
More direct, much more perfumed – airy and very attractive. More fluid in style – not a wine of great concentration but a wine of great contemplation – modestly framed with a fine, grainless tannin – top!
Oldest vines from 1936 here.
More impact but then follows a more direct style of aroma, faintly floral. Extra minerality and width over the palate – melting still, that’s a great Clos de Chênes not the warm bruisers of recent vintages – the delicacy of Volnay is restored in 21…
Les whites:
2021 Bourgogne Chardonnay Les Grandes Coutures
Vines, of course, in the commune of Meursault
A cushioned width of aroma – this is very inviting. In the mouth a modest cushion too – but there’s also some riper fruit depth and a silky texture – a super Bourgogne – with an almost sparkly, mineral finishing style – faintly tannic at the end.
Villages vines bought in the 1990s and replanted in 1998 – so still young vines. Opposite the lavoir…
More direct and narrow – almost vertical – clearly some minerality here. Direct, more chiselled, top texture – juicy – that’s a great villages from an unexpected appellation – bravo!
2021 Meursault Limozin
A mix of 50 and 70-year-old vines.
A slightly reductive start – not a bad thing – it’s all cork here. Hmm – a contemplative wine to start, silky and obviously mineral – growing from the core – slightly metallic – but with a super crescendo of finishing flavour – that’s a great villages finish!
2021 Meursault Chevalier
2.5 ha in one block – 3 different geological sectors and 8 different vine ages – rows of 400m – ‘there’s a barrel for each row!’
Tighter in the top notes but wide and inviting at the base. Broader, extra energy – if not more concentrated – bubbling with energy, then sustaining a really long finish. That’s a very classy wine – super.
2021 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Les Folatières
Vines between Chartron and Pernot above the trees, bought by Xavier’s grandmother in 1978 after already working the parcel for 10 years. Made exactly like the previous wines.
Yes, a little white blossom perfume – more stony below. Super fluidity – almost an airy style to these flavours despite a shape that’s quite chiselled and clean. Holding well in a subtle rather than overt style – but holding all the same – simply delicious, very classy wine.
2021 Meursault 1er Les Charmes
1.20 ha – a large producer for here, vines towards the bottom opposite Combettes, Referts and Puligny-Charmes.
A width of slightly cushioned aroma slowly adding some extra perfume – that’s becoming very lovely. Actually here is a rather mineral wine, a little more concentration intent vs the Folatières – very pretty and complex citrus energy and quite juicy in the finish. That’s a very fine finish – simply excellent Charmes – another yum!
2021 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er En Remilly
Young vines, near Chevalier-Montrachet. Xavier’s mother rents them from within the family. Father planted these vines in 1975, but this is the third harvest after replanting. Yellow marne here. Enough for 4 barrels normally.
There’s more aromatic concentration though less open complexity to start. In the mouth texturally fine even a faint grain of tannin a little generosity and slowly melting with delicious flavour – not yet quite to the standard of the previous two wines – but close – and it’s delicious, the length is super!
The only contract white in range – starting as 1 barrel as an exchange of grapes with a friend. Now, Xavier has two friends supplying, so this is a blend of Aloxe and Pernand grapes.
Breadth of aroma – a little cushioning but tons of complexity here too – that’s really impressive. A cascade of mineral-infused flavour – juicy in the best sense – complex wine that’s surprisingly approachable – the finish here just goes on… Bravo!