Domaine Bitouzet-Prieur - Meursault 1er "Les Pierreries" 2022 (750ml)
Price: $279.99
| Producer | Domaine Bitouzet-Prieur |
| Country | France |
| Region | Burgundy |
| Varietal | Chardonnay |
| Vintage | 2022 |
| Sku | 205267 |
| Size | 750ml |
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Domaine Bitouzet-Prieur Description
A committed classicist, Vincent Bitouzet has provided us with over thirty-years worth of structured, demanding, age-worthy, satisfying wines, both red and white, from the heart of the Cote de Beaune. Based in Volnay and blessed with extensive holdings in Meursault as well, this domaine is a tried and true standard bearer for all that is fundamentally good and sound in Burgundy: conscientious and sensitive work in the vineyards, respect above all for the specific character of each lieu-dit, patience and attention to detail in the cellar, and a commitment to producing wines of depth and, of critical importance, longevity. To truly understand great white and red burgundy, one must wait for these grand expressions of terroir to mature to reveal their splendor and spectacular nuance.
Vincent Bitouzet's ancestral roots in Burgundy cover at least the last two centuries. His great-great grandfather, M. Gillotte, arrived in Auxey Duresses in 1802 and was mayor of that village. In 1804, the Bitouzet line settled in Volnay. The Bitouzets were one of the first of the family domaines in this region to bottle their wines. Vincent's grandfather had already garnered medals for his winemaking talents in 1860. Vincent's wife, Annie Prieur, has equally distinguished antecedents. Her family (both Prieurs and Perronnets) was long established in Meursault and Ladoix. The resulting "merger" of the Bitouzet and Prieur family holdings has created a domaine of distinction and breadth. Francois Bitouzet, the only son of Vincent and Annie, is now working hand-in-hand with his parents as he maintains the deep Burgundian roots of his ancestors.
François owns just over a quarter-hectare of Chardonnay, planted in 1983, in the lower part of this fabled premier cru (Les Perrières Dessous) , situated immediately above Les Charmes on the slope. Always the most dazzlingly mineral wine in their lineup, Bitouzet’s Meursault-Perrières offers a tight-grained, tunneling, borderline saline palate that can be almost overwhelming in youth, but unfailingly blossoms gradually into a white Burgundy of layered majesty.
Burghound: 93 Points
A completely different nose presents aromas of wet stone, iodine, oyster shell and a more discreet application of wood. The super-sleek, intense and precise flavors exude an almost aggressive minerality on the strikingly long, youthfully austere and balanced finish. While this too could use better depth, more is all but guaranteed to develop if given a chance. If you can find this beauty, buy it.
Vinous: 90-92 Points
The 2022 Meursault Les Perrières ler Cru has a more complex bouquet than the Meursault Charmes: dried honey, frangipane, cockle shells and light white chocolate flecks. The new oak (20%) is neatly integrated. The palate is very well-balanced with a silver bead of acidity. It does not quite match the aromatics in the mouth, perhaps needing a little more mineralité on the finish that would define it as a Perrières and nothing else. Also, it just needs a little more persistence.
But overall, it is a fine Meursault that should give 12-18 years of drinking pleasure.
