Domaine Maxime Cheurlin Noellat
Maxime Cheurlin Noëllat is a name that has become synonymous with Burgundy. In recent years, he has repeatedly amazed the wine world with his exceptional talent as a winemaker. At just 20 years old, he took over the leadership of the Georges Noëllat estate in 2010, elevating it to unprecedented heights since then.
As if that weren't impressive enough, Maxime has also established a new négociant business in the meantime. He has acquired new vineyards and taken on various plots under his management, where he is allowed to purchase the grapes. These grapes are used for the wines marketed under his own name, Maxime Cheurlin Noëllat. The labels for Maxime Cheurlin Noëllat and Georges Noëllat are almost identical; only the first name differs. The winemaker is the same, and the quality is equally impressive.
Maxime works with renowned Grand Cru vineyards such as Corton, Bonnes-Mares, Corton-Charlemagne, Clos de Vougeot, Chambertin, Romanée St. Vivant, and Mazis-Chambertin, as well as many other prestigious vineyards in Burgundy. Unique to his portfolio is that, unlike Georges Noëllat, he also produces a few white Chardonnay wines, with the Corton-Charlemagne being the absolute highlight.
In the vineyards, he follows an organic approach, with most of the work being done by hand, such as harvesting and destemming the grapes. Fermentation is carried out with natural yeasts, and for aging, he always uses French oak barrels, of which at least 30% are new. In some cases, all the barrels are new. According to Maxime, the exceptional quality of his vineyards enables the wines to handle this level of oak usage effortlessly.
His goal is to create wines that are as pure as possible, full of elegance, and often drinkable when young but also age beautifully. These are wines cherished by true Burgundy enthusiasts, who go to great lengths to acquire them. Maxime seems to have developed an innate "fingerspitzengefühl," knowing exactly what is needed both in the vineyard and the cellar. This has positioned him in recent years as one of the flag bearers of the new generation of winemakers in Burgundy.
Read more