Domaine Patrick Javillier Meursault Les Tillets 2021

Domaine Patrick Javillier is one of Meursault's most reliably excellent and undersung addresses — a family estate now in its third generation, with Patrick's daughter Marion increasingly taking the reins, and a reputation for wines that combine both immediate pleasure and genuine cellaring depth. Marion Javillier oversees the winemaking with a philosophy of classic, elegant, terroir-driven wines known for both early enjoyment and ageability — considered among Meursault's most consistent and high-quality producers while also offering genuine value. Les Tillets is one of the domaine's most distinctive village-level wines — named from the medieval word for lime tree, the lieu-dit sits at the top of the slope above the hills of Meursault, close to the forest, facing south-south-east, at an altitude of over 300 metres. The soil is brown limestone interspersed with clay and hard limestone, and the wine is assembled from six plots in close proximity, with vines ranging from 30 to 70 years of age. At this higher, cooler site on thinner soils of hard limestone, the wine takes on a more linear, mineral tension than the richer, lower-slope Meursault lieux-dits. 

The bouquet is characteristic — white flowers, white and yellow fruits and a light spicy note, complex and very elegant; in the mouth full-bodied, powerful and mineral with a fine aromatic freshness, a long finish and a certain underlying robustness. The nose captivates with ripe apple, pear and white peach intertwined with hazelnut, citrus blossom and a hint of wet stone; the palate elegant and well-balanced with lemon zest, green apple and a touch of butter supported by vibrant acidity, the finish long and refined. This is the mineral, high-altitude face of Meursault — more Puligny in its tension than Meursault in its generosity — and one of the most compelling village-level whites the appellation produces.