Size: 9.5 hectares

History: The Javillier family has been in Meursault for centuries, and has always owned parcels of vines. Raymond Javillier was the first generation to work exclusively as a vigneron, however. After returning from the war in 1945, he revived the family estate, expanded his vineyard  holdings and also established a negociant business to run alongside the family domaine. Patrick, Raymond’s son, studied oenology in Dijon before taking over responsibility for the estate with the 1974 harvest. The domaine increased once more in the early 1980s, when Patrick acquired holdings of Bourgogne Blanc, Meusault, Puligny Montrachet and Pommard, and then further in the 2000 with the addition of vines in Corton Charlemagne. He now also rents vineyards belonging to his wife’s family in Savigny Les Grands Liards, Les Serpentières 1er Cru, Aloxe Corton and Pernand Vergelesses.

Patrick Javillier is considered by Coates to be amongst the best producers in the Côte de Beaune, no mean achievement considering the depth of quality in the area. Tasting through the range with Patrick is a highly enjoyable experience. He takes a very considered and somewhat intellectual approach to his winemaking and has a real feel for his vineyards and their characteristics. He conveys his understanding of his métier in a contagious manner and one always leaves the cellar on real high.

Style: His two Bourgogne blancs come from good plots within the village and are very fine examples of generic Burgundy.  His Meursaults are all different, as one would expect. The Clos du Cromin is the earliest drinking of the different cuvées, showing good natural Meursault fat. Les Tillets is perhaps a slightly more elegant style, whilst Les Clous is more reserved and backward and requires extra ageing before being ready. Patrick’s top Meursault is his ‘Tête de Murgers’, which is a blend of Casse-Tête and Les Murgers and this is always a super wine that rivals many of the top offerings from the village. Patrick felt that his first vintage of Corton Charlemagne was too akin to a Meursault, but he is now happy with his few barrels of Grand Cru which give the domaine a true flagship wine. Patrick’s reds are made to drink in the mid-term. Well-structured with a good sense of their origin, they make excellent food wines.

Methods: He vinifies all his lieux dits separately, allowing them to develop their own characteristics and express their own unique terroir. The whites are fermented 100% in barrel, 25% new, where they stay for 11 months before being assembled and matured again in larger vats for 6 months on their lees. Patrick feels strongly that this extended lees contact enriches the personalities of the wines. So the wines are bottled 18 months after harvest, usually without filtration. The reds are 100% destemmed and then cold macerated for 5 or 6 days. The press wine is separated, vinified and matured separately, and then some of it included in the final blend after a tasting 11 months later. The reds are vinified and matured in oak barrels, half of which are new, and they are neither fined not filtered before bottling.

Vineyards:
- White
Bourgogne Blanc Cuvée des Forgets: this cuvée comes from 2.25 hectares of Bourgogne Blanc vines within the lieux-dit of ‘Les Herbeux’ in Meursault and ‘Les Vaux’ in Volnay. The vineyards were planted in the early 1970s and the soils are alluvial limestone over silt.
Bourgogne Blanc Cuvée Oligocène: 0.75 hectares of 30 year old vines in the Meusault lieu-dit of “Les Pellans” situated below Meursault Charmes. Half of the lieu-dit is classified as Meursault and the other as Bourgogne Blanc, despite having the same limestone soils, and the latter is the only parcel in Meursault of this altitude and soil type not to be able to use the village appellation.
Meursault Les Tillets: 1.5 hectares of vines between 30 and 70 years old, on clay limestone soils. Stylistically, this wine has a little of both Meursault and Puligny Montrachet.
Meursault ‘Clos du Cromin’: 1 hectares, 60 year old vines.
Meursault ‘Les Clous’: 0.36 hectares, 50 year old vines. Situated at the top of an east facing slope with deep clay limestone soils.
Meursault ‘Cuvée Tête de Murger’: 0.62 hectares, 30 year old vines. This cuvée is a blend of two climates, Meursault ‘Les Casses-Têtes’ and Meursault ‘Les Murgers de Monthelie’. ‘Les Casses-Têtes’ is classic Meusault terroir, east facing and with very thin soils. ‘Les Murgers’ is west facing and on the Volnay slope, clay limestone over the volcanic rock typical of Volnay. ‘Les Casses-Têtes’ gives minerality, ‘Les Murgers’ balance and length.
Corton Charlemagne: 0.17 hectares, 25 year old vines, situated in the lieu-dit ‘Les Pougets’, facing due south.

- Red
Savigny-lés-Beaune ‘Les Grands Liards’: 0.54ha, part of the plot planted 10 years ago and part 45 years ago.
Savigny-lés-Beaune 1er Cru ‘Les Serpentières: 0.71ha, 30 year old vines.  These vines yield tiny amounts, giving wines of power and personality.
Pernand Vergelesses: 0.22 hectares, 40 year old vines.
Aloxe Corton: 0.29 hectares, 40 year old vines.
Pommard: 0.2 hectares, 35 year old vines.