2021 Domaine Philippe Bouzereau, Meursault “Clos de la Croix Noire” White Burgundy, France.
This small Domaine, located in the heart of the village of Meursault, was all new to me and I was very impressed by Philippe Bouzereau’s beautiful medium bodied Clos de la Croix Noire lieu-dit Meursault. It is a wine which is wonderfully balanced with lemon, apple, pear and white peach fruits, along with classic chalky stone, steely mineral, hazelnut, white flowers, wild fennel and clove spice. This parcel, sitting at near the top of an escarpment, the “Croix Noire” is actually known as Aux Murger de Monthélie, which is slightly confusing, as it is in Meursault, and has a bit more freshness and verve from the elevation. Not from from Monthélie, hence the name, this site is on classic Côte De Beaune clay and limestone soils, which heavily influences the terroir character in the wine, as this pale golden hued 2021 serves up in the glass. The importer received permission to use the old name, on the label, here, Clos de la Croix Noire instead, which gives a nod to a tall black cross at the corner of the vineyard, which has overlooked this vineyard for ages.
Philippe Bouzereau, the 9th generation vigneron, has vines from Aloxe-Corton in the north, to Santenay in the south, through Beaune, Auxey-Duresses, Meursault and even a small parcel in Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru Champs Gains, making up a mosaic of terroirs that are showcased in his wines. This allows Bouzereau to offer a collection of small lot and handcrafted wines that also display a great diversity of soils that is transmitted exclusive through Chardonnay. To make his wines, Bouzereau carefully selects the best clusters and hand harvests the fruit which comes into the cellar cool and is then pressed to barrel for fermentation and aging. The wines rests on the lees for about a year, with elevage in all French oak, which is usually close to 30% new, allowing a luxurious textual mouth feel, but also allowing for transparency and pure terroir to shine through, as seen perfectly in this 2021 vintage. As well documented, Meursault is one of Burgundies great terroirs and is also host to some of the most exceptionally talented winemakers on the planet, with the likes of Coche, Roulot, and Lafon to name a few, having brought world wide fame to the region, and Philippe Bouzereau hopes to join them.
($90 Est.) 93 Points, grapelive