Latour-Giraud Meursault 1er Cru "Charmes" 2023

91-94 BH

91-94 JM

Notes:

Half and half between upper and lower Charmes. A bright rich lemon colour. Attractive but not especially demonstrative. Offering breadth and depth, there is no edge to the fruit, a significant mouthful of white orchard fruit, mostly at the back of the palate, intelligent oaking, correct acidity, and very persistent. I find more character in one or two of Jean-Pierre Latour’s wines but this is properly Charmes. Drink from 2029-2036. Tasted Oct 2024. Jasper Morris 91-94

Smoky aromas of vaguely exotic passion fruit, white peach, spice, acacia blossom and plenty of just sliced citrus serve as an elegant introduction to the succulent but energetic flavors that aren't as dense or powerful as those of the Poruzots but do offer equally good depth and even better persistence on the impeccably well-balanced finale. This is terrific and a wine that should age gracefully. Burghound 91-94

Producer: Domaine Latour-Giraud is a family estate based in Meursault, formed through the union of the Latour and Giraud families in 1958. Today Jean-Pierre Latour directs the domaine and personally oversees the vineyard work, vinification, élevage, and commercial side of production, while his wife Christine manages the administration. The property covers approximately 10 hectares, with roughly 80–85% devoted to white wine. Its strength is its collection of Meursault Premier Cru holdings: Genevrières, Charmes, Perrières, Bouchères, and Poruzot, along with Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru Champs-Canet and several village-level Meursault parcels. The domaine is particularly significant in Genevrières, where its 2.5-hectare holding makes it the climat's largest proprietor. Jean-Pierre works with naturally low yields and traditional cellar methods, including indigenous-yeast fermentation and extended barrel élevage, producing Chardonnay with substantial texture while maintaining the distinctions between individual Meursault sites.
Vineyard: Charmes is one of Meursault's largest and best-known Premier Crus, positioned on the southern side of the appellation toward Puligny-Montrachet. Latour-Giraud owns approximately 0.50 hectare, importantly divided between Charmes Dessus and Charmes Dessous. For the 2023, Jasper Morris reports that the blend is essentially half upper Charmes and half lower Charmes. This gives Jean-Pierre material from two distinct parts of the climat rather than a single position on the slope. Charmes Dessus, higher on the hillside and adjoining the Premier Cru Perrières sector, generally has thinner, more limestone-influenced soils, while Charmes Dessous lies farther downslope where the clay-limestone soils become deeper. Together they provide the combination of volume, structure, and mineral freshness for which Charmes is known. Burghound specifically identifies vines of more than 35 years of age in Charmes Dessus. The 2023 vintage produced a generous crop in Burgundy, but careful vineyard management and healthy Chardonnay allowed the better sites to retain freshness alongside full physiological maturity.
Winemaking: The wine is 100% Chardonnay, made from estate-grown fruit from Latour-Giraud's Charmes holdings. Jean-Pierre Latour's white-wine program relies on indigenous yeasts and barrel fermentation, followed by maturation on the lees in French oak. The domaine's approach is traditional rather than reductive or heavily manipulated, and the barrels provide both oxygen exchange and texture during élevage. New oak is used selectively rather than uniformly throughout the range, with the concentration and structure of the individual vineyard determining how much wood it can comfortably absorb. For Charmes, the combination of fruit from both the upper and lower portions of the climat gives the wine enough natural breadth to accommodate barrel maturation while retaining the freshness supplied by its limestone-rich terroir. The finished 2023 is 13.5% ABV.
Technical Details: Meursault Premier Cru AOC; Charmes climat; 2023 vintage; 100% Chardonnay; approximately 0.50-hectare estate holding; parcels divided between Charmes Dessus and Charmes Dessous; approximately half of the 2023 blend from each portion of the climat; vines in Charmes Dessus reported at 35+ years old; clay-limestone terroir with thinner, more limestone-influenced soils toward the upper slope and deeper soils farther downslope; estate-grown fruit; indigenous-yeast fermentation; barrel fermentation and French oak élevage; 13.5% ABV; 750ml bottle.
Food Pairing: Butter-poached lobster, grilled lobster, seared scallops, turbot, Dover sole, roasted halibut, monkfish, crab risotto, roast chicken, chicken with morels, veal medallions, mushroom risotto, truffled pasta, Comté, Beaufort, and aged Gruyère. The natural breadth of Charmes makes it particularly comfortable with richer seafood and poultry preparations, while its acidity and mineral structure keep cream- and butter-based sauces from becoming too heavy.