Historically, the most prized vineyards in Meursault were situated perfectly mid-slope, where grapes could easily achieve full, rich ripeness in what used to be a very marginal climate. But as global warming steadily increases temperatures across the Côte d'Or, the story is changing.
Today, the most thrilling, energetic white Burgundies are increasingly coming from the highest-altitude village sites — the steep, windy, rocky plots that once struggled to ripen, but now offer a critical lifeline of acidity and tension.
No vineyard exemplifies this modern climate advantage better than Les Narvaux. Situated high up on the hill, directly above the legendary Premier Crus of Genevrières and Poruzots, Les Narvaux is a steep, incredibly rocky terroir with very shallow topsoil over pure limestone bedrock. Decades ago, wines from this site could occasionally be painfully lean. Today, it consistently produces wines of Premier Cru quality, marrying the classic, rich hazelnut depth of Meursault with a soaring, electric, minerality that lower-elevation vineyards simply cannot replicate in warm years.
Philippe Chavy has the perfect pedigree to harness this specific terroir. He is a true child of the Côte de Beaune—his mother’s family (the Ropiteaus) comes from Meursault, and his father’s family comes from Puligny-Montrachet. Working with incredibly old vines from both sides of the family, Philippe crafts wines that beautifully bridge the stylistic gap between those two famous villages, combining the broad-shouldered richness of Meursault with the laser-focused tension of Puligny.
His 2022 Meursault Les Narvaux is a gorgeous example of this new climate reality. The generous 2022 vintage provided ample sun-drenched orchard fruit and white flowers, while the high-altitude terroir of Les Narvaux kept the wine chiseled with minerals, salt and pure energy. If you want to taste the future of Meursault, you’ll want to try a bottle or two of this:
Philippe Chavy, Meursault Les Narvaux, 2022 $109.99
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