Meursault-Santenots 1er Cru

Pairs well with crab salad, roasted chicken with samphire and mushroom risotto

This vineyard, located in the commune of Meursault, is unusual in that it is entitled to produce Meursault-Santenots Premier Cru white wine if planted with Chardonnay and Volnay- Santenots Premier Cru red wine if planted with Pinot Noir. Facing east, this vineyard has deep soil with alternating friable limestone aggregate associated with marl and silt. Situated at the foot of the slope, this Meursault-Santenots has a perfect balance between soil and stone that encourages ripening.

Alcoholic fermentation and ageing entirely in oak barrels. 100% malolactic fermentation Duration of ageing: 22 months

Whole bunches of grapes were handpicked into small crates and the pressed in a pneumatic winepress. The juice was cold settled after pressing for 12-14 hours under temperature- controlled conditions.

For years Domaine Jacques Prieur was in a slow and seemingly terminal decline with quantity rather than quality being the byword. The guardian angel arrived in the form of Mercurey-based négociants Antonin Rodet in the late 1980s. Rodet's oenologist Nadine Gublin has been the driving force behind the renaissance in quality which now rivals the very finest producers on the Côte. The Domaine is today owned 70% by the Labruyère family and 30% by the Prieurs.The roots of the revival lie in the vineyards where fewer pesticides and herbicides are being used and come harvest time there is now a far more rigid selection of the best fruit. The results are a revelation. They have an exceptional range of grand cru vineyards – including the grandest of the grand such as Montrachet Musigny and Chambertin. But perhaps because the domaine’s holdings are dispersed up and down the Côte that it has not enjoyed the first rate reputation that one might have expected. The wines are certainly good but perhaps just short of the flair which would place them in the very top division. There is a conscious decision to pick relatively late and make flamboyantly full-bodied wines.