Tasted in Meursault with François Mikulski, 18 October 2018.

François Mikulski Earl  
7 Route Nationale 74
21190 Meursault
Tel: +33 3 80 21 25 11
www.domainemikulski.fr

​François on 2019:
“In 2019 the degrees are, again, tending higher. But the grapes were fine and the degrees seem not to have been too high now. The reds were only 13-13.5° which is okay – at 14° the wines are still good, but it’s not really burgundy is it?”

François on 2018:
“A dry and hot summer – we had to start harvesting the 25 August – which diminished the malic acid but concentrated the tartaric – similar to 2003 but with double the volume of grapes. There’s a certain richness and charm. There’s more white volume than in 2017 but not red, maybe 15% less red. I’m reminded of 1999 – in terms of the volume and the structure of the wines – we had effectively 1.25 harvests in 2018 so when we have 0.75 in 2019 that seems an enormous drop despite the average being correct! I’ll start some bottling in December for the Bourgogne, but February will be the start of the main bottling campaign. ”

The wines…

A good range form François in 2018 – despite the feeling that many of these wines have not yet peaked, most are excellent – I think the end result will be even better than seen today…

2018 Bourgogne Rouge Côte d’Or
Hmm – that’s nice – some energy to match the good fruit. Round, depth to the flavour, mouth-watering, tasty wine. Excellent Bourgogne

2018 Monthelie
A new cuvée from Toisières
Brighter, more purity to this fruit. More drive and line in the mouth too. This is delicious!

2018 Pommard
‘It’s convenient for me that this is never too structured in a traditional Pommard sense, as that’s not my favourite style of wine’ says François.
A fuller nose, slowly evolving more fresh tones. More depth to this texture, supple, more layered delivery of flavour rather than the drive of the last. Juicy finishing – super!

2018 Volnay 1er Santenots du Milieu
A fine nose, of elegant fruit and of good width too. Driving but a halfway-house in style between the last two – the silkiest wine and certainly the most delicious finishing – so long too – excellent.

There’s was no Meursault Caillerets in 2017 but this year:

2018 Meursault 1er Caillerets
Hmm – a more perfumed nose – softer fruits – lovely. Also fine, silky, a little more freshness, also juicy finishing with a little more structure visible here – also excellent – super wine!

2018 Aloxe-Corton 1er Vercots
Bought grapes
A less forward, it’s a tighter nose but round at the core. A different energy, but energy for sure – round, more structural in style, a touch of drying but not grainy tannin. Long finishing too. A departure in style for here but fine.

Les blancs…

2018 Bourgogne Aligote
Golden colour – aromas of golden fruit – what’s not to love? Saline, still gassy, this needs a little time before bottling, though the mid and finishing flavours melt beautifully over the palate. To see again, but potential lies here.

2018 Bourgogne Chardonnay Côte d’Or
4 parcels around Meursault – both sides of the village
A pinched nose to start but one that slowly starts to relax. Full – more mouth-filling, a nice line of acidity at the core of this – mouth-watering in the middle and finish.

2018 Meursault​
Mainly Pellans but 3-4 other small parcels too.
Quite a subdued nose. Open, mobile, good freshness. The flavour slowly growing, mouth-watering. Culminating in a really delicious finish – current not fully open but tasty wine awaits.

2017 Meursault Tillets
Second year produced from young 5-year-old vines just under the forest.
A faint reduction but a pretty depth to this nose. Nicely Meursault, good energy, long finishing too – another delicious wine with a very attractive finishing explosion of flavour!

2018 Meursault Meix Chavaux
20% of this is in the village, 25 yo average for the vines
The nose has less overt depth but offers more width – still not a powerful nose. There’s more gas in here but still a wine of good energy, more horizontal – ie wide – less depth than the Tillets. More elegant than the last perhaps more intense finishing too – there’s character and more minerality here but less delicious today as more elevage is required.

2018 Meursault Le Limozin
More depth of aroma again – this time not emphasised by reduction – floral, ginger, fine. Mineral style in the mouth, but not with rigour, this melts over the palate – mouth-watering in the finish. Delicious in the finish – ooh – excellent – a great length of finish here!

2018 Meursault 1er Les Poruzots
Vibrant and mineral – a very inviting nose! Wide, nice energy – just a little softer than the nose suggests, but this is concentrated and delivers a great finish – wow – overall excellent today but with the potential for more! Poruzots here usually is a more generous wine than many estates it’s also not yet fined – which sharpens the edges and polishes wine.

2018 Meursault 1er Goutte d’Or
Hmm – a more airy nose but with a weight of more golden fruit below. Plenty of gas here, minerality is to the fore too – this is a very different beast – but supple in the middle as the gas fades, with a beautiful ginger-spiced weight of tasty finishing flavour – excellent!

2018 Meursault 1er Genevrières
Hmm – nice – not yet fully focused but attractive, lightly spiced nose. Again a small accent of gas, but then easy but never soft-focus flavour over the palate. Really delicious finishing – proper, fabulous Genevrières here. Lovely and with the potential for excellent – at least.

2018 Meursault 1er Aux Charmes 1913
A complex nose and of good focus too. Nice shape, more mineral, less flavoured than the Genevrières to start, slowly developing in the middle, beautiful texture, a brighter fruit, less spiced finish. So long. Modest to start, wow to finish. Potentially bravo!

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