Domaine Michelot

The history, seven generations

Behind Domaine Michelot lies a history spanning seven generations of grape growers, which is why the name of this winery no longer matches that of the family that runs it. Nicolas Mestre is a seventh-generation descendant of the Michelot family and works alongside his father, Jean-François.

This estate is generally credited with expanding its reputation under the leadership of Bernard Michelot in the 1960s, and his name is still mentioned whenever discussions arise about old Meursault vintages. Growth since then has occurred gradually, plot by plot.

What has remained unchanged is the operational base. Located in Côte-d'Or, Meursault has consistently served as the headquarters, and the vineyards on the outskirts of the village were added to expand the product lineup rather than to relocate the main operations.

Seventeen hectares, mostly in one village

Domaine Michelot cultivates 17 hectares of farmland. Most of this is located in Meursault, with a few additional plots in Puligny-Montrachet and Santenay.

The farmland in the village of Meursault includes Sous la Velle, Les Narvaux, Grands Charrons, and Clos St Félix. At the Premier Cru level, they cultivate Perrières, Genevrières, Charmes, and Porusots. Within the Santenay zone, there are Premier Cru plots in Les Gravières and La Comme.

Vineyard management focuses on tillage rather than spraying. Disease control is strictly limited to the bare minimum, and in parts of each plot, grass is allowed to grow and is then mowed according to a schedule.

This grass is not for ornamental purposes. It competes with the grapevines for surface moisture and encourages the roots to grow deeper, which is precisely the goal of the cultivation program.

The terroir

Meursault: the soil here consists of alternating layers of limestone and marl, interspersed with layers of magnesium limestone. The highest-quality land is located at an elevation of approximately 260 meters.

Of this appellation's approximately 400 hectares, more than 95% is planted with the Chardonnay variety. Since the slope and gradient vary from plot to plot, the wines from Meursault and Premier Cru are well-known not so much for their similarity in taste as for their aromatic intensity and flavor. The Pinot Noir wines from this region are rare and retain an elegant flavor profile, with red fruit aromas on the nose.

The Puligny-Montrachet vineyards, located further south, have distinct characteristics. They are primarily composed of brown calcareous soil, limestone marl, and clay-limestone, with the vines facing east and southeast at elevations ranging from 230 to 320 meters above sea level. The clay in the marl adds body to the wine, while the limestone lends it finesse. The Domaine Michelot's vineyards here are located within an appellation spanning approximately 210 hectares, about half of which are classified as Premier Cru, comprising 17 Premier Cru climats and 4 Grands Crus climats.

Santenay, located at the southern tip of Côte de Beaune, adds higher-altitude climats and a slightly redder hue to the landscape.

Two grape varieties

Domaine Michelot is, above all, a winery specializing in white wine, a fact that stems from the location of its vineyards.

• Chardonnay: The main vineyard, spanning Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet, Santenay, and Bourgogne Côte d'Or.
• Pinot Noir is a much smaller area used for Bourgogne Côte d'Or red and Santenay Premier Cru La Comme.

The specific proportions of the winery's vineyard area have not been disclosed. Given the nature of the Meursault appellation, the majority of the total area is concentrated in Chardonnay.

The winemaking

The aging process for Domaine Michelot takes place in two stages. First, it is aged in wooden barrels, including 228-liter barrels (the standard size in Burgundy) and larger 500-liter vessels, for about one year, followed by an additional aging period of approximately six months in stainless steel tanks before bottling.

This second stage in stainless steel tanks tends to refine the wine's flavor rather than enrich it. The use of new oak barrels is kept to a minimum to allow the characteristics of each vineyard to shine through more clearly.

The wine is neither clarified nor filtered during bottling. As a result of minimizing artificial intervention and prioritizing transparency, the style of this wine is generally described as delicate, pure, and mineral-rich, rather than rich and buttery.

Since both Nicolas and Jean-François Mestre focus on comparing winemaking methods rather than adhering to a single, fixed recipe, the specifics may vary depending on the cuvée and vintage.

The range, from village Meursault upward

Meursault is the flagship cru of Domaine Michelot lineup: Meursault Sous la Velle, Meursault Grands Charrons, and Meursault Narvaux. The Premier Cru category includes the Meursault Perrieres and Meursault Les Genevrieres.

Puligny-Montrachet is produced from vineyards located between those of Meursault and Chassagne-Montrachet, completing the white wine segment of the core lineup.

In addition, the winery produces Bourgogne Côte d'Or in both red and white varieties, as well as Premier Crus, which includes Charmes and Porusots, Santenay Premier Cru, among which La Comme is a red wine and Les Gravières is a white wine. Although red wines account for a small portion of the total production, they are nonetheless an important part of the lineup.