Henri Germain - Meursault's Most Underrated Domaine
“The more Germain wines I drink, the more I admire them. Several years ago, I described this as Meursault’s most underrated address, and I can only repeat that today because the wines are so good, as the world certainly seems to be taking more and more notice of what is going on at this discreet, family-owned domaine.” William Kelley, The Wine Advocate.
Germain's 2023 whites are super impressive, combining concentration, energy, and precision, and showcasing a Domaine at the height of its powers. The reds, too, continue their quiet ascent. What was once a lesser-known part of their production has become an increasingly important expression of the range, with the quality today right up there with the best of the Côte de Beaune.
Henri Germain Bourgogne Blanc Cote d'Or 2023
This is outstanding for its level. It comes from around a hectare of vines spread over four Meursault and Chassagne terroirs, including Les Belles Côtes (just below Les Chevalières) and Petit Clos (a true clos, right next to the winery in the centre of Meursault). Importer’s notes.
“A blend of several sites around Chassagne, the 2023 Bourgogne Côte d'Or Blanc has a slightly resinous bouquet. The palate is fresh with a citric edge on the entry and good tension. This is a quite pithy Bourgogne Côte d'Or but with impressive persistence on the finish. Very fine.” 89-90 points, Neal Martin, Vinous.
Henri Germain Meursault 2023
Germain’s village blend now comes from eight lieux-dits, including Les Vireuils, which offers racy minerality, Cromin (on Volnay hill), which adds depth, and Les Pellans (near Puligny), which provides freshness. Other sites include Moulin à Judas—which might become a single release if Lucie Germain has her way—and Dressoles. The newest addition is Les Corbins, a rocky vineyard on the Volnay side, well-known to Domaine Vincent Dancer fans. Vines here date back to 1929, with an average age of over 50 years. Importer’s notes.
“This opens nicely with lime flower, lemon thyme and touches of candle wax on the nose. It has good complexity. The palate is very well balanced with a smooth texture, lightly spiced with a touch of orange rind, white pepper and Szechuan pepper on the finish that leaves the mouth tingling. This is excellent.” 90-92 points, Neal Martin, Vinous.
Henri Germain Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Morgeot ‘Les Fairendes’ 2023
The finest sites of Chassagne’s 1er Cru Morgeot (where 20 separate lieux-dits can be bottled) lie in the upper sector, above the main road on the poorer, white soils. Les Fairendes is one of these sites. Thierry Pillot once told us that his grandfather used to say that this vineyard—situated just below Les Caillerets—was the finest terroir within Morgeot (Pillot has no holding here, so we can take his word to be impartial). This wine is as far from your average Morgeot as you could imagine. It’s an incredibly mineral wine: chalky, driven, powerful and long. Real depth and structure, too. Brilliant. Importer’s notes.
“The 2023 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Morgeot Les Fairendes has turned out nicely, offering up aromas of sweet orchard fruit, peaches, toasted nuts and spices, followed by a medium to full-bodied, ample and fleshy wine that's suave and giving, with a lively core of fruit and a saline finish. This is, as usual, the richest wine in the range, but it hasn't lost its balance.” 91-93 points, William Kelley, The Wine Advocate
