Champagne Alsace Loire Valley Burgundy Rhône Provence Languedoc Roussillon Southwest Bordeaux

france: burgundy

Domaine Jean-Michel Gaunoux, Meursault

Gaunoux is an old Côte de Beaune family whose most famous member was Henri Gaunoux—a celebrated vigneron in the decades on either side of the second war. Upon his death in 1972 his estate was divided among his family, and his two sons consolidated the vineyard parcels into two domaines: Domaine François Gaunoux in Meursault, and Domaine Michel Gaunoux in Pommard.

Henri’s grandson, Jean-Michel, went to work side by side with François in 1978. In 1990, Jean-Michel split with his father and started his own domaine with vineyard parcels from his mother’s family. In 1991, he put in a new cellar and ageing rooms. The domaine farms nearly six hectares, or 14.5 acres, in the villages of Meursault, Pommard, Puligny-Montrachet, and Volnay.

Production is just about evenly split between Pinot and Chardonnay, and Jean-Michel is equal to either variety. The distinguishing characteristic of his wines is—and I hope you appreciate this term—their regal nature. These are self-assured wines, without need of flash or pizzazz (you won’t find big extractions, high toast oak, or the like here). They know themselves and are solidly built, pure, long, very mineral, and age-worthy.

He manipulates very little in the cellar, and limits the use of new oak to about 30% for the premier cru red in good years (20-25% for 1er whites and 15-20% for Villages wines). He racks the wine out of barrel and into vats shortly after the following vintage so that his barrels never go empty and dry out. He quit lees stirring in 2004, fearing that it encouraged premature oxidation, and subsequently found that this permitted him to cut his SO2 additions in half.

In good years, Jean-Michel takes the rare step of putting aside a certain amount of a given year’s wine to age in bottle in his cellar for later release. This allows him to offer beautifully stored bottles of his wine to clients. And the thing is, he does so at near the same prices as the current release.

The Whites

• Bourgogne Blanc: A half acre parcel planted in 1981 in rocky soils above the 1er cru Perriers, Meursault’s unofficial grand cru.
• Meursault: This is an assemblage of four parcels: Terres Blanches and Pelles on the south side of the town, giving richer fruit and elegance; and Criots and Malpoiriers on the north side, giving leaner, more mineral wine. Average age of the vines is old—45 years.

• Meursault 1er Cru Les Genevrières: The one vineyard source that Jean-Michel doesn’t own, hence the slightly different label. He purchases grapes or must from Latour, and said grapes or must always comes from the same parcel and equals three to four barrels, the year depending.

• Meursault 1er Cru Gouttes d'Or: Three-quarters of an acre planted in the early 1950s on a steep, rocky slope making for a rich but quite elegant wine underpinned by intense minerality.
• Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières: An acre and a half immediately north of Clos des Perrières in Perrières Dessus, planted in 1981.
• Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Folatières: Just over half an acre planted in 1981 on a gently sloped portion of this upslope vineyard. If the Meursaults have the stone, the focus and strict construction, this, the Puligny, has the floral elements, the softer fruit and ease.

The Reds

• Bourgogne Pinot Fin: An acre and a quarter parcel in a little clos next to Jean-Michel’s house in the upper, northern side of Meursault, planted in 1976 right on the border with AOC Meursault. Fin because the grapes are always small.
• Meursault rouge Les Criots: just over half an acre planted in 1966.
• Pommard Les Perrières: Jean-Michel has five acres here planted in 1956.
• Volnay 1er cru Clos des Chênes: An acre and a quarter planted in 1966 in what is the most limestone-rich of all the Volnay premier cru vineyards. Jean-Michel’s parcel is down-slope near the road.