Joseph Drouhin Meursault 2023

Joseph Drouhin is one of the great names of Burgundy, a family house in Beaune running since 1880, and one of the earliest and most committed converts to biodynamic farming in the region. Their Meursault is a benchmark for what village-level white Burgundy should be: pure, balanced, and unmistakably from this most generous corner of the Côte de Beaune.

Meursault is Chardonnay country, and the village has a richer, rounder reputation than its neighbours — a little more flesh, a little more of that famous buttered-nut character. Drouhin's touch keeps it elegant rather than heavy, using oak for support rather than flavour. The 2023 vintage brought ripe, healthy fruit with good freshness across white Burgundy.

In the glass it's an inviting pale gold. Expect ripe orchard fruit and white blossom on the nose, with hazelnut, a whisper of honey and toasted oak sitting quietly underneath. The palate is where Meursault earns its following — creamy and generous, with citrus and white peach carried on a fine seam of acidity, and a long, gently nutty finish. It's approachable now but has the balance to develop over the next five to eight years.

How to Serve

Serve at 11–13°C in a full white Burgundy glass — serve it too cold and you'll lose the aromatics that make it worth the money. A young bottle opens well with twenty minutes of air.

Where to Drink It

The River Cafe, whose cooking flatters fine white Burgundy. Wiltons on Jermyn Street, for classic fish and a serious cellar. Noble Rot Soho, for a great Burgundy poured by the glass.

Food Pairings

Roast chicken is the classic, and it never disappoints. Otherwise a piece of turbot or Dover sole in a butter sauce, or a wedge of Comté to finish.