Beaune Premier Cru, Les Vignes Franches, Pierre Meurgey, 2017

Pierre Meurgey is a fourth-generation winemaker. His half-Mâcon and half- Beaune roots are expressed through two signatures; By Meurgey-Croses and By Pierre Meurgey, respectively. For his Mâcon wines, Pierre works with only one origin per appellation, controlling the date and conditions of the harvest. The alcoholic fermentation and ageing all take place in vats – 400 or 600 litre demi-muids – or 228-litre oak barrels depending on the appellation. In his Beaune production, the grapes are partially or totally destemmed, then vinified in open vats. Regular pumping over produces wines with ripe fruit flavours, balanced by the freshness imparted by the clay-limestone soils. The wines are then aged for 10 to 18 months in French oak barrels, with a reasoned proportion of new barrels.