2016 Domaine Matrot Bourgogne Blanc 750 ml

“This 2016 Domaine Matrot is the absolute best Bourgogne Blanc you can buy—hands down,” said Master Sommelier Sur Lucero last week, because when you really have landed on that superlative bottle, why beat around the bush? 

“I honestly don’t know a better one for the price,” Sur said, pouring this around the table. 

Pristine organic farming, six generations of winemaking heritage, and amazing 30-year-old vines near Meursault mean that for just $24 you can taste the absolute peak of appellation-level white Burgundy, beautifully expressive of both place and vintage. It's the kind of bottle we all want to keep around.

Sliced green pear, wet river stones, and white flowers suffuse the ethereal nose. It’s light, elegant, and crisp on the palate, achieving a gossamer-like weightlessness on the finish. A luscious lemon curd profile, offset by a stony, chalky minerality, persists through to a finish that is clean, transparent, and a sure sign of master craftsmanship. For this quality and price, it’s one purchase you won’t have to sweat over.

Domaine Matrot was founded in 1914 by Joseph Matrot (born 1881), a grandson of winemakers, and his wife Marguerite Amoignon, who owned vines in Meursault. Over a century later, the estate is managed by their descendants, Adèle and Elsa Matrot, who took over in 2016.

Their commitment to organic farming and precise, clean viniculture is deep. That strategy translated with this particular 2016 Bourgogne Blanc into an intensity and minerality not often found at this price. The sisters plow soil amended only with organic manure, and practice green harvesting techniques, pruning, and debudding to control yields. Barrel hygiene is prioritized, and fermentation can last up to eight or ten weeks.

Where they really excel is in reading vintages, and tailoring their approach accordingly. As the Matrots have told us, in one year a grape may be ripe at 11 degrees of potential alcohol; the next year, due to different conditions, it may be 14 degrees. 2016 was a standout vintage, infusing wines like this one with both silkiness and juiciness. Great farmers like Adèle and Elsa knew to wait till alcohol level hit 12-13%, and ended up with Chardonnay grapes with lovely density and grace.

Burgundy is always a moving target, but this is an absolute standout drinking gorgeously right now, and blew us away for the value.