Meursault 1er Cru “Les Genevrières” 2021 – David Moret

The grapes to produce the Meursault 1er Cru “Les Genevrières” David Moret  were brought to the winery and pressed immediately to preserve the precious Chardonnay aromas and flavours. Alcoholic and malolactic fermentation took place in French oak, 30% of which was new, for 18 months. The wine was then bottled and rested in the cellars for several months prior to release.

Meursault has 17 Premiers Crus, of which the highest-regarded are Les Genevrières, Les Charmes and Les Perrières (many regard these three as the unofficial ‘Grand Crus’ of Meursault). The 16 hectares of Les Genevrières sit towards the south of Meursault; the name Genevrière means ‘Juniper’, from the many juniper bushes that lined the hills in the past. Soils here are extremely stony, and the aspect is southeasterly and therefore sunny, conferring intensity and richness to the wines. The grapes were all handpicked into small boxes, which ensured the berries remained intact and healthy for their arrival at the winery.

David Moret is a micro-négociant making only white wines in his small cellar in Beaune. He studied oenology, but then went on to sell winemaking supplies before finally deciding to make wines himself. With no family-owned vines, he bought grapes to vinify, purchasing his first barrels in the late 1990s and starting the Moret-Nominé label in 2000. Since then, he has continued to buy small parcels of grapes from top growers, to vinify in his cellars. Fermented using indigenous yeasts, the wines are bottled without fining or filtration after the natural settling that occurs during their period in oak. David uses 20% new oak for his Villages wines and up to 40% new oak for his Premiers and Grands Crus.