From the atlas
Domaine du Château de Meursault
Meursault domaine farming estate grown fruit across Côte de Beaune appellations, with Chardonnay wines from the enclosed Clos du Château and named Savigny-les-Beaune sites.
At A Glance
| Field | Detail |
| Region | Bourgogne, with holdings across Côte de Beaune appellations |
| Base | Meursault |
| Main grape | Chardonnay |
| Signature wine | Clos du Château |
| Defining feature | Hand crafted wines from estate grown fruit and certified organic vineyard farming |
The Producer
The Cistercian cellars beneath Château de Meursault were dug from the 12th to 19th centuries and cover 3,500 square metres. Above them, Domaine du Château de Meursault farms 67 hectares spread over more than 100 plots across Côte de Beaune appellations.
The wines are hand crafted from 100 percent estate grown fruit. Chardonnay anchors the white wines, including the flagship Clos du Château, an enclosed plot planted with the grape. The estate combines a large spread of vineyard parcels with cellar infrastructure built over several centuries.
Place
Domaine du Château de Meursault is based in Meursault, Bourgogne, with vineyards distributed across Côte de Beaune appellations. The holdings include a dozen village and regional appellations, 20 Premiers Crus and 6 Grands Crus.
Premier Cru and Grand Cru are vineyard classifications that appear on the label when the parcel qualifies for that level. The estate therefore produces wines whose labels move from village and regional names to higher vineyard classifications within the same Côte de Beaune base.
Soil And Site
Savigny-les-Beaune Blanc comes from a southeast facing hilltop vineyard with clay limestone and gravel soils. Clay can retain water, while limestone and gravel help drainage, giving the vines access to moisture without leaving the ground saturated.
Savigny-les-Beaune Les Peuillets 2022 comes from a 1.62 hectare holding divided across two east facing plots at the bottom of a hillside. Its slightly pebbly clay limestone soils belong to a lower slope setting within the Premier Cru vineyard.
Story
Château de Meursault traces its heritage to the 11th century, when Capetian Robert I, Duke of Burgundy, ceded the fief of Foulot Mill to one of his squires. The property later carried that long history into modern farming.
Under Olivier Halley's stewardship, the entire vineyard achieved certified organic status in 2022. The certification covers the estate's full vineyard holding, linking the medieval property to a documented contemporary farming standard.
Vineyards And Cellar
The estate ages its wines in oak for 12 to 18 months, with less than 30 percent of the barrels normally new. Oak ageing exposes wine to controlled oxygen and can contribute spice and texture, while the limited proportion of new barrels keeps the cellar regime centered on the fruit and site.
Lees are the spent yeast cells left after fermentation. Each white cuvée receives lees stirring treatment based on its individual characteristics, a process that can add weight and a softer texture to the finished wine.
Wines
The portfolio includes white and red Burgundy from village, regional, Premier Cru and Grand Cru levels. Clos du Château is the flagship white, made from Chardonnay grown in an 8 hectare plot enclosed by a dry stone wall.
Savigny-les-Beaune Blanc is a Chardonnay wine from a Côte de Beaune appellation, with an aging potential of 3 to 5 years. Savigny-les-Beaune Les Peuillets 2022 is a Premier Cru red with a tannic frame, black fruit and spice.
In The Glass
Savigny-les-Beaune Blanc opens with yellow fruit and toasted bread aromas. The palate is fresh and smooth with good volume, carrying stone fruit and citrus notes through the finish.
The red Les Peuillets 2022 moves in a different direction, with black fruit and spices held by a firm tannic frame. The white wine's profile comes from Chardonnay and its site, while the red's shape comes through tannin, fruit and spice.
A Bottle To Understand It
Savigny-les-Beaune Blanc 2022 is the first bottle to open. It is Chardonnay from a Côte de Beaune appellation and matures on lees for 12 months before release. The bottle stays with one white grape and one appellation while the wider portfolio moves into Premier Cru and Grand Cru holdings.
The wine has an aging potential of 3 to 5 years. Its lees élevage lasts 12 months.
Anecdote
In 2012, Olivier Halley acquired Château de Meursault and Château de Marsannay from the Boisseaux family. Halley was heir to a family shareholder of Carrefour and headed H Partners, a company owning retail brands. The purchase placed two Burgundy estates under shared ownership. Both estates produce hand crafted wines made from 100 percent estate grown fruit, giving the acquisition a common production basis across the two properties.
Final Word
Domaine du Château de Meursault farms estate grown fruit across Côte de Beaune appellations and bottles Chardonnay whites alongside Premier Cru reds and Grand Cru wines.
Sources
- https://www.chateau-meursault.com/en/estate/
- https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/terlato-wines-to-add-burgundys-chateau-de-meursault-and-chateau-de-marsannay-to-luxury-wine-portfolio-300059719.html
- https://cluboenologique.com/story/chateau-de-meursault-burgundy-organic-growth/
- https://www.millesima.com/domaine-du-chateau-de-meursault-savigny-les-beaune-1er-cru-les-peuillets-2022.html
- https://www.idealwine.info/tag/olivier-halley/
- https://www.chateau-meursault.com/en/vins/savigny-les-beaune-white/
- https://www.chateau-meursault.com/en/the-wines/