Francois Mikulski
In the village of Meursault, situated in the Côte de Beaune region of Burgundy, Domaine François Mikulski has quietly established a reputation as one of the leading producers of white wine in the area. Run by François and Marie-Pierre Mikulski since 1992, the estate is best known for its precise, mineral-driven Meursault wines, grown on some of the finest Premier Cru plots, produced in small batches and in a deliberately classic style.
History
Domaine François Mikulski has earned a modest yet solid reputation as one of the village’s leading producers of white wine. The estate’s name is somewhat unusual for this region, and there is a story behind it. François Mikulski’s father, Mieczysław, was a Polish officer who fled to England during the Second World War and became famous for his participation in the Battle of Arnhem as part of the Free Polish Forces. After the war, he settled in France and married a member of the Boillot family, an ancient dynasty of winemakers from Meursault. François grew up amongst the vineyards, studied viticulture, served a year in the army, and then travelled to California for the 1983 harvest in Caler. On returning to Burgundy, he worked alongside his uncle Pierre Boillot before establishing his own estate in Meursault with his wife Marie-Pierre.
The first vintage under their own name was released in 1992. Today, their stepson Thomas Boccon is gradually taking over the management of the estate.
Vineyards
The winery cultivates around 8–9 hectares of vineyards, all in the Côte de Beaune. Most of the holdings are in Meursault, with plots in several Premier Cru climats: Le Charm, Les Genevières, Le Porusot, Goutte d’Or and Le Caillère, as well as a number of local village-level plots such as Mex Chavo, Limosin and Tille.
There are also small plots in Volnay 1er Cru Santenots du Milieu, Pommard, Montelay, Saint-Aubin, Aloxe-Corton 1er Cru Les Vercots and Bonnes-sur-les-Grèves, as well as old vines of Burgundy Aligoté and Burgundy, planted in 1929 and 1913.
Terroir
Meursault is situated on the gentle slopes south of Beaune, with soils typical of Burgundy, comprising clay, marl and limestone in varying proportions from one plot to another. Premier Crus generally have thinner soils over a fractured limestone base, which is one of the reasons why they produce more mineral-driven wines capable of long ageing. The cellars themselves are carved into solid rock, where a constant temperature of 6 to 8 °C is maintained in winter, which is ideal for slow fermentation and ageing.
Grape varieties used
As is the case almost everywhere in the Côte de Beaune, production is divided between Chardonnay for white wines and Pinot Noir for reds, with whites accounting for around 75% of production. There is also a small amount of Aligoté for the ‘Bourgogne Aligoté’ wine and a small amount of ‘Pass-tu-gran’, made from a 50/50 blend of Pinot Noir and Gamay sourced from old vines.
Winemaking
Work in the vineyards is carried out predominantly using organic methods, following the principles of ‘lutte raisonnée’, with the use of home-made compost, ploughing and a particular focus on soil health. Yields are kept at a moderate level. White wines are pneumatically pressed, settled and fermented using indigenous yeasts in cool stone cellars for three to four months.
Ageing takes place in oak barrels on the lees for approximately 12 months, with around 20% of the barrels being new. Red wines are completely destemmed, fermented in open vats for 15–17 days, and then aged for 14 to 18 months, with up to 35% of the barrels being new oak for the best crus.
Wines
The flagship wines are the Meursault Premier Crus: Les Charmes (including a small quantity of Vieilles Vignes from vines dating back to 1913), Les Genevrières, Les Poruzots and Goutte d'Or.
Below these in the hierarchy are several Meursault ‘Village’ wines, as well as Bourgogne Aligoté, Bourgogne Côte-d’Or and Crémant de Bourgogne. Red wines, produced in smaller quantities, include Volnay 1er Cru Santenots du Milieu, Meursault 1er Cru Les Caillerets, Pommard, Monthelie and Aloxe-Corton 1er Cru Les Vercots.
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