2017 Meursault Clousots

Marion Javillier, who vinifies the red wines at the family domain (with her brother-in-law Pierre Emmanuel now responsible for the whites), described 2017 as a complicated vintage; she currently prefers 2016 as “more straight.” The family began harvesting on August 30, then stopped for half a day after rainfall on the 31st. Although they picked Pinot Noir until September 8, most of their Chardonnay was in by September 2. She admitted to making the full permitted yields in some cuvées in 2017, adding that the family chaptalized “a bit” in ’17 but not in ’16.

Javillier also told me that her brother-in-law Pierre Emmanuel did more frequent stirring of the lees in 2017 than in the previous year, as he practices more batonnages in low-acid vintages. Still, the family considers both ’17 and ’16 to have lower-than-average levels of acidity. The alcoholic fermentations were easy and the malos finished quickly too, in December and January, with most wines retaining around 4 grams per liter of acidity.