2021 Arnaud Baillot Meursault Sous La Velle, Burgundy

The word "Meursault" alone evokes memories of fabled times and divine wine, and the fascination is no less in this powerhouse of a wine from the small field "Sous la Velle" from Arnaud Baillot.

Arnaud and his wife Laure, who in our view have gone through an impressive development in just a few years, always prioritize the character of the terroir and the vintage on the wine more than the notion of what consumers might want. Therefore, the richness of this single-country Meursault also comes with an athletic stature devoid of the extra layers of fat and sometimes a little too dominant butter tones, which can otherwise be immensely popular but which, as in wines at this elevated level, tend to overshadow all the unique flavor combinations in the layers below. Fortunately, there is also a market for that. This is honesty in a bottle, something WE are big fans of anyway!

Vinification

In the winery, Baillot uses their old oak barrels in the fermentation process, after which approx. 25% of the wine is poured into new, medium-roasted barriques, while the rest remains in the used ones. 12 months later, the contents of the casks are poured into large steel tanks, where the wine collects and matures further undisturbed until it is deemed ready for bottling.

Aroma and taste

The finished wine has a huge storage potential but is already in its youth packed with a passionate scent of honey, linden and citrus blossoms, butter-roasted hazelnuts, crushed flint and sea buckthorn.

The taste is round, full and firm with an energetic acidity and a muscular backbone from start to finish. In the aftertaste, plums and spices collide with the already rich flavor universe, caressing all corners of the palate and tongue for a long time after the last sip.

Serving suggestions

Enjoy this excellent wine with butter-fried scallops, stuffed quail and everything in between. In the first 5 years from the harvest year, we recommend that you pour it into a carafe an hour before you serve it - preferably at around 10 degrees.