Domaine Tessier, Chardonnay, Bourgogne Blanc "Champ Perrier" Côte de Beaune, Burgundy, France 2018

100% Chardonnay

Practicing organic. From a single lieu-dit in the village of Puligny-Montrachet, on the Meursault border – directly below Corvée des Vignes. 45+ year old vines. Soil is clay-limestone, with a dominance of limestone. Indigenous yeasts are used. Fermented and aged in barrel (10% new); finished in stainless steel for 6 months before bottling.

Arnaud Tessier loves his vineyards. His work ethic has become famous around town, with many of his fellow producers conceding that he has some of the most immaculate vineyards in all of Meursault. There are no gimmicks with his wines; it is Arnaud and his vineyards, period.

The holdings here have always been some of the best, with prime parcels in the best crus of the village, including Charmes-Desuss (directly adjacent to Comtes Lafon’s parcel), Poruzot-Dessus, and Genevrieres-Dessus. The vineyard work is fully organic with constant ploughing. In the cellar, he is assisted by his wife, Catherine, who uses indigenous yeasts for the fermentation and allows the wines to go through a long and slow élevage. The work that this dynamic duo put in have put them squarely in the conversation among the top producers of Meursault.