Domaine Patrick Javillier, Meursault
Background
The Javillier family has owned parcels of vines in Meursault for centuries.
Raymond Javillier was the first generation to work exclusively as a vigneron, after returning from the war in 1945, when he revived the family domaine and expanded vineyard holdings. Raymond’s son Patrick took over in 1974, and continued this expansion in Bourgogne Blanc, Meursault, Puligny Montrachet and Pommard. He also started to rent vineyards belonging to his wife’s family in Savigny, Aloxe Corton, and Pernand vergelesses.
Patrick is widely regarded as one of the top three wine makers in the village of Meursault, in spite of having no 1er crus, and just a little Grand Cru Corton-Charlemagne and a miniscule plot of Grand Cru Charmes. Otherwise, the (white) estate consists entirely of ‘village’ vineyards, and Patrick vinifies all his lieux dits separately, allowing them to develop their own characteristics and express their own unique terroir.
A village wine from Javillier usually outshines a Premier Cru from most of his neighbours.
Size: 10 hectares, spread over five villages of the Côte-de-Beaune, from Puligny-Montrachet to Pernand-Vergelesses, covering 14 appellations.
| Soil type: | varies between vineyards. See more details below, for individual wines. |
| Vine age: | 30-50 years old |
| Yields: | 55-60 hl/ha in Bourgogne, and 50hl/ha in Meursault |
| Annual production: | 70,000 bottles |
Viticultural and vinification methods
All white wines undergo oak barrel-fermentation, 25% new, where they stay for 11 months, before being transferred to larger vats for 6 months on their lees. Bottling of the whites therefore takes place 17-18 months after harvest, with a minimum of fining and filtration.
For the red wines, the grapes are 100% destemmed, and the wines spend 18 months maturing in barrel, before being bottled with the least manipulation possible.
Wines
Bourgogne Blanc Cuvée des Forgets – 2.25 ha; 25 year old vines. Silt soil, covering alluvium or villafranchian.
Meursault ‘les Tillets’ – 1.50 ha; 30-70 year old vines; Clayey and brown limestone over hard limestone.
Meursault ‘Clos du Cromin’ – 1 ha; 60 year old vines; rich clayey and stony soil.
Meursault ‘Les Clousots’ – born from a marriage of 2 vineyards – Meursault ‘Les Clous’ and Meursault ‘Les Crotots’. 0.60 ha; 35 year old vines; clay-limestone soil.
Meursault ‘Tête de Murgers’ – 0.62 ha; 30 year old vines; Clay on volcanic rock.
Corton-Charlemagne, Grand Cru – 0.17 ha, 25 year old vines.
