Chateau de Meursault

History of Château de Meursault

The origins of Château de Meursault date back to the 11th century, when Robert I, Duke of Burgundy and son of the French King Robert II, granted the fief of Moulin Foulot to one of his squires. From the 12th to the 16th century, the property changed hands frequently amid the conflicts between the Duchy of Burgundy and the Kingdom of France. In 1645, the estate became the property of Pierre Legoux de La Berchère, Lord of La Rochepot, before passing through several hands and eventually being confiscated and sold during the French Revolution. In the 19th century, the Serre family and then the Moucheron family undertook major architectural modifications and considerably expanded the wine-growing estate.

In 1973, André Boisseaux, founder of the renowned Kriter group, became the owner of Château de Meursault and gave it a new international standing. In 2012, the Halley family took over the property and embarked on a vast modernisation plan for the vineyard and facilities, including conversion to organic farming, the achievement of the Haute Valeur Environnementale certification, and the installation of state-of-the-art equipment (gravity-fed vat room, optical sorter, pneumatic presses, thermo-regulated wooden vats). Today, Château de Meursault welcomes around 20,000 visitors each year to its Cistercian cellars dating from the 12th to the 16th century, which extend over 3,500 m² and can hold up to 800,000 bottles and more than 2,000 oak barrels.

Terroirs and Vineyards of Château de Meursault

The vineyard of Château de Meursault extends over approximately 65 hectares in the Côte de Beaune, spread across more than 110 plots within an average radius of 10 kilometres around the château. The vines are planted on mid-slope, at an altitude of 250 metres, with a full easterly exposure, sheltered from the prevailing winds by the mountains to the west. The soils, rich in limestone and well-drained, are the hallmark of classic Burgundian identity. The appellations covered range from Aloxe-Corton to Puligny-Montrachet, taking in Savigny-lès-Beaune, Beaune, Pommard, Volnay and Meursault, with exceptional terroirs such as Les Charmes Dessus, Les Perrières, Les Maréchaudes, Champ Gain, Champ Canet, as well as the Clos des Grands Charrons, the estate's Monopole.

The vineyard is managed using organic farming, with an advanced agroecological approach aimed at promoting biodiversity, maintaining living soils, and reducing the carbon footprint. Each plot is monitored throughout the year by the same winegrower — one of the 18 on the estate — ensuring an intimate knowledge of each terroir. Harvesting is entirely manual, mobilising around 150 grape pickers in September, who harvest the grapes in open-slatted 20 kg crates to preserve the integrity of the berries through to the final sorting.

Vinification at Château de Meursault

In the cellar, under the supervision of cellar master Emmanuel Escutenaire, each plot is pressed, vinified and aged separately, following a strict parcel-by-parcel approach. For the Pinot Noirs, the harvested grapes are sorted manually and then optically with great rigour, followed by a cold pre-fermentation maceration of approximately 5 days. Alcoholic fermentation is carried out gently, with pump-overs used predominantly over intensive punch-downs, in order to extract the finest, highest-quality tannins. After a vatting period of 16 to 20 days, the wines are aged on their lees in oak barrels.

For the Chardonnays, after manual sorting, gentle pressing and settling, alcoholic fermentation takes place directly in barrel over 10 to 15 days depending on the terroir. The ageing on lees then continues with lees-stirring adapted on a case-by-case basis, each cuvée being unique. All the wines are bottled at the château, in a bottle identical to the model designed in the 18th century (lightened by 15% in 2018 for ecological reasons), and aged for a minimum of one year in the estate's Cistercian cellars before being labelled. This philosophy of precision gives rise to wines that are balanced, expressive, finely chiselled and deeply faithful to their respective terroirs.

The cuvées of Château de Meursault

Bourgogne Clos du Château (Monopole): the signature cuvée born in the historic walled vineyard surrounding the château. Available in white and red, it offers an ideal introduction to the estate's world, with a fresh, ample Chardonnay and a fruit-forward, indulgent Pinot Noir — a perfect expression of the identity of Château de Meursault.

Meursault Clos des Grands Charrons (Monopole): a Chardonnay from a walled vineyard in the exclusive monopole of Château de Meursault, located on the Meursault terroir. A taut, saline wine with an elegant roundness inherited from patient ageing on lees, it embodies the house style on the estate's flagship appellation.

Meursault Premier Cru Charmes (Les Charmes Dessus): one of Meursault's most iconic Premier Crus, sourced from the upper part of the climat (Charmes Dessus). An opulent and deep wine, blending ripe yellow fruits, fine toasty notes, fresh butter and chalky minerality, in a majestic balance built for ageing.

Meursault Premier Cru Perrières: the absolute pinnacle of Meursault whites, the Perrières climat is celebrated for the mineral verticality it imparts to its Chardonnays. Château de Meursault produces here a wine of great purity, with crystalline tension, a long and saline finish — one of the estate's most sought-after cuvées.

Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru Champ Gain: a Premier Cru from Puligny-Montrachet, neighbouring the appellation's greatest climates. A floral, finely chiselled Chardonnay with an airy mineral backbone, expressing the full thoroughbred elegance of the great white wines of Puligny.

Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru Champ Canet: another prestigious climat from Puligny, located at the top of the slope. A wine of great finesse, combining white fruits, candied citrus and saline minerality in a very pure and elegant expression of Puligny Chardonnay.

Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru: one of the most prestigious white Grand Crus in Burgundy, sourced from the mythical Corton hill. A powerful and mineral Chardonnay of impressive depth, with chalky sap and monumental length, built for great ageing.

Corton Vergennes Grand Cru Blanc: a rare and confidential white Grand Cru from a distinctive climat on the Corton hill. A rich, deep, mineral wine combining aromatic complexity with a persistent finish — a unique signature of Château de Meursault.

Beaune Premier Cru Les Cent Vignes: a historic Premier Cru from Beaune, one of the appellation's best-known. An ample, indulgent Pinot Noir blending vibrant red fruits, soft spices and freshness, in a style that is both charming and structured.

Beaune Premier Cru Fèves: an iconic Premier Cru from Beaune, with a full easterly exposure. An elegant, silky, deep Pinot Noir with a fine structure and a thoroughbred finish — one of the estate's finest expressions from Beaune.

Pommard Premier Cru Clos des Epenots: an emblematic Premier Cru from Pommard, sourced from one of the appellation's most prestigious climates. A powerful and structured wine built for ageing, marked by intense black fruits, spices, and dense tannins destined for a long development.

Volnay Premier Cru Clos des Chênes: an emblematic Premier Cru from Volnay, celebrated for the finesse and depth of its Pinot Noirs. An elegant and velvety wine, blending red fruits, violet, spices and mineral freshness, built for a fine ageing potential.

Corton Grand Cru: a red Grand Cru from the Corton hill, one of the greatest in Burgundy. A Pinot Noir of remarkable aromatic intensity, with a noble tannic structure, monumental depth and length — a wine of very great ageing potential.

Corton Les Maréchaudes Grand Cru: a Grand Cru from the Les Maréchaudes climat, located on the south-eastern part of the Corton hill. A deep and elegant wine, offering a pure expression of Burgundian Pinot Noir, marked by intense black fruit aromas, violet, and a thoroughbred mineral structure.