Philippe Bouzereau Meursault Les Grands Charrons 2020

The Bouzereau family has been growing vines in Meursault for nine generations, dating back to the 18th century. The current Château de Cîteaux was established by Philippe Bouzereau (senior) in the 1960s. His son Philippe (junior) took over the running of the estate in 2006, having completed his studies in Beaune and worked vintages in Beaujolais, Australia and New Zealand. The 18 hectares of vines are cultivated according to the principles of la ‘Lutte Raisonnée’, or sustainable farming. Philippe passionately believes in letting the wine express its terroir, through minimum intervention in the winery and a judicious use of oak. He has certainly achieved this, as the resulting wines are rich, concentrated and showcase the terroir beautifully.

The grapes come from a family plot, 'Les Grands Charrons', to which Philippe is particularly attached. The vines have an average age of 40 years and are grown in clay, gravel and alluvial soils. The vineyard is managed using sustainable practices, only organic fertilisers and composts are used; and chemical herbicides have not been used for over 15 years. The vineyard is cultivated in the traditional Burgundian manner.

The grapes were hand-harvested at optimal maturity, carefully selected and pneumatically pressed. Fermentation took place on the lees in oak barrels with regular 'bâtonnage' or lees stirring. The wines were then matured in the family cellars in French oak barrels of which 20 to 30% were new, for a period of 12 months. The use of oak is carefully monitored to ensure it does not detract from the nuances of the terroir in the plot of Les Grands Charrons.