2018 Domaine Comtesse de Cherisey La Genelotte Meursault-Blagny Premier Cru 750 ml

The extraordinary Domaine Comtesse de Chérisey La Genelotte—which has graced tables at London’s four-time “Wine List of the Year” recipient Noble Rot—shows exactly why Chardonnay from Meursault-Blagny belongs alongside the Côte d'Or’s upper-echelon bottles. 

Presenting the same kind of flawless balance and richness that have cemented Meursault legends in four-digit price territory, the 2018 La Genelotte is an old-vine masterpiece that earned 95 points from Tim Atkin MW in his review for Decanter. 

Vigneron Laurent Martelet has an eagle eye for winemaking minutiae, and he crafts standout wines in minuscule quantities. That's to be expected: For years, he's been making “fantastic white Burgundies that are going to get better and better,” according to Wine Advocate. Premier Cru vineyards like La Genelotte, Advocate also noted, are “among the most underrated sources for fine white Burgundy in the contemporary Côte de Beaune.”

Martelet’s in-bottle results speak to the level of tender care he puts in. The 2018 La Genelotte’s complex aromatics might tempt you to simply leave it open on your table all night, enjoying the aromas of golden apples, quince, pineapple, and yellow flowers. But start sipping and you’ll forget that notion entirely, as fresh tree-fruit, toasted oak, hazelnut, and flinty minerality balance on a fresh throughline of acidity. This wine has a density and structure derived from scrupulous winemaking but still flaunts an air of effortlessness. 

Domaine Comtesse de Chérisey is a rising star, which means it’s going to be harder and harder to find their wines—especially this tiny-production showpiece. Wine Advocate put it best when they wrote, “Burgundy purists who're not familiar with this producer should beat a path to their door, sooner rather than later.”