Jean-Luc & Eric Burguet, Meursault, Sous la Velle 2021 - 75cl
Sous la Velle is a village lieu-dit tucked below the town of Meursault, and in the hands of Jean-Luc and Eric Burguet it gives a white Burgundy that speaks quietly rather than shouting. The Burguet name is better known in Gevrey-Chambertin for its reds, which makes this Chardonnay something of a happy detour — the same instinct for precision, turned to white wine.
Meursault sits on the Côte de Beaune's limestone, and 2021 was a small, hard-won vintage after spring frost. What survived came in with real tension. Expect a nose of white peach and hazelnut, a little toasted oatmeal, a curl of citrus pith underneath. The palate is where it earns its keep — creamy in texture from time on the lees, yet cut through by a saline, almost chalky freshness that stops it turning rich. There's a gentle nuttiness on the finish that marks it out as proper Meursault rather than generic oaked Chardonnay.
Drink this when you want white Burgundy without the Grand Cru price of admission. It suits a slow lunch, a quiet dinner, a bottle opened while cooking.
How to Serve
Serve at 11–13°C, cool but not fridge-cold, so the texture shows. A large white-wine glass or a Burgundy bowl lets the nutty aromatics open. No need to decant, though 20 minutes in the glass rewards patience.
Where to Drink It
Bentley's for oysters and Dover sole. Noble Rot in Soho, where Loire and Burgundy sit happily side by side. The Wolseley for a long, unhurried lunch.
Food Pairings
Roast chicken with tarragon is the classic move, and it works beautifully. I'd also pour it with turbot or a butter-poached piece of cod.
