Yves Boyer-Martenot, Meursault 'En l'Ormeau 2020

This is a stunning wine that shows why some Burgundy is really worth the hype. Made by the family domaine based in the town, it has become a calling card for them and a flagship for many Meursault fans in Ireland over the past three or more decades. Rich, but with balancing freshness; complex but approachable; versatile with food pairings yet exquisite on its own. Flavours of white peach and subtle spice lead to some light toasted notes and fresh chopped nuts.

From one of Meursault's named 'Climats' or single sites, this vineyard is at the western edge of the territory and has soils full of the famed limestone and marl, set at a slight elevation to the rest of the village. Remarkably, the Boyer-Martenot vines were planted back in the 1920s. This was one of The Allotment's first experiences of a brilliant white.

Meursault is a very interesting village for a number of reasons. It's a very picturesque place, but it's the soils that really mark it out. The limestone and marble from Comblanchien, at the end of the Cotes de Nuits, reappears in Meursault and because of its density it has allowed for cellars to be deeper than those of neighbouring villages. This has led to less rush to get wines to market as there was physical space to store them and this in turn has traditionally given a much richer style for Meursault wines as they always been able to age for longer. This is still true today (though there is absolutely no rush at all to sell the wines of Puligny or Chassagne!) and Meursault's richness is served well by its perfect exposure to south and east, allowing for long ripening and seldom any extremes of temperatures. No Grand Crus in this village, but 19 Premier Crus and individually named 'Climats' that are, in essence, a halfway house between Village and 1er Cru, thus pushing the value of 1er Crus considerably upward...