2021 Louis Latour Goutte d’Or Meursault 1er Cru, Burgundy

Lovely nose of lemon curd with just a touch of toasty oak. So ripe you might imagine that it doesn’t have much acidity, but under all the richness there’s a lively acidity that keeps this light on its feet. Excellent harmony at the finish. Drink or hold.

94 points James Suckling

Meursault has long been the beating heart of white Burgundy, and the Goutte d’Or vineyard sits among its most prized Premier Cru sites. Louis Latour’s history in Burgundy stretches back to 1797, with the family building one of the region’s great négociant and domaine houses through generations of meticulous vineyard work and patient cellar ageing. Goutte d’Or, meaning “drop of gold”, is perfectly named for a site that consistently delivers some of Meursault’s richest and most seductive Chardonnay.

The 2021 vintage leans into elegance and precision rather than sheer weight, which suits this vineyard beautifully. Layers of ripe lemon, white peach and baked pear unfold alongside toasted hazelnut, fresh cream, crushed stone and gentle spice from carefully integrated oak. There is plenty of classic Meursault generosity here, though the cooler season brings remarkable energy and mineral tension. The texture is silky and expansive without becoming heavy, finishing with lingering citrus oil, almond meal and a subtle flinty edge that keeps the wine focused and refined.

This deserves proper food and a little patience in the glass. Think butter poached lobster, roast chicken with morels or handmade tagliatelle with brown butter and sage. It would also be magnificent beside scallops with cauliflower purée and crispy pancetta. Over the evening the wine keeps revealing new layers, moving from citrus and stone fruit into savoury hazelnut and wet stone complexity. Drinking beautifully with a decant now, though it will reward careful cellaring over the next decade and beyond.