Comtesse de Chérisey Meursault-Blagny 1er Cru La Genelotte 2021

The Comtesse de Cherisey estate has farmed the ancient hamlet of Blagny since 1811, high on the hill between Meursault and Puligny-Montrachet in the Cote de Beaune. La Genelotte is a Premier Cru vineyard, and its altitude of around 400 metres, once seen as a disadvantage, now works in its favour: in a warming climate the elevation keeps the nights cool and the acidity fresh. The soils are the classic Burgundian mix of limestone and marl, which gives white Chardonnay its mineral spine and precision. Farmed organically, the wine is aged for 12 months in oak barrels, where barrel fermentation and lees contact bring vanilla, toast and a creamy, buttery weight, most likely rounded further by the malolactic conversion typical of white Burgundy. The colour is a bright gold, and the nose shows an alluring complexity of quince, yellow apple and toasted hazelnut. The palate is full and textured yet lifted by fresh acidity, with citrus, stone fruit and a long, savoury, nutty finish. Serve at 12 to 13 degrees in a large glass.