Domaine Bitouzet Prieur Meursault Premier Cru Perrieres 2022 750ml

François owns just over a quarter-hectare of Chardonnay, planted in 1983, in the lower part of this fabled premier cru (Les Perrières Dessous) , situated immediately above Les Charmes on the slope. Always the most dazzlingly mineral wine in their lineup, Bitouzet’s Meursault-Perrières offers a tight-grained, tunneling, borderline saline palate that can be almost overwhelming in youth, but unfailingly blossoms gradually into a white Burgundy of layered majesty. 25-30% new oak is employed in its 16-month élevage.

• Country: France
• Region: Burgundy
• Appellation: Cote De Beaune
• Sub Appellation: Meursault
• Size: 750ml
• Color: White

Varietal

Chardonnay

Of all the white wine grape varietals, surely the one that has spread the furthest and is most widely appreciated is Chardonnay. This green-skinned grape is now grown all over the Old and New Worlds, from New Zealand to the Americas, from England to Chile, and is one of the first varietals people think of when considering white wine grapes. Perhaps this is because of its huge popularity, which reached a peak in the 1990s, thanks to new technologies combining with traditional methods to bring the very best features out of the Chardonnay grape and allow its unique qualities to shine through. Most fine Chardonnay wines use a process known as malolactic fermentation, wherein the malic acids in the grape juice are converted to lactic acids, allowing a creamier, buttery nature to come forward in the wine. No grape varietal is better suited to this process than Chardonnay, which manages to balance these silky, creamy notes with fresh white fruit flavors beautifully.