70 WINE SPECTATOR • SEPT. 30, 2019
After taking over Domaine Matrot from their father in 2016, Adèle and Elsa Matrot weathered frost damage to produce
a standout Bourgogne in 2017. Several top-scoring versions from Meursault round out their lineup from the vintage.at 92 points and one at 93) will set you back
from $56 to $72. Château Fuissé is also a
leading estate; its entry-level Pouilly-Fuissé
Tête de Cuvée 2017 (91, $42) is ripe and
creamy, exhibiting peach, apricot, honey-
suckle and honey flavors.
At the opposite end of Burgundy lies
Chablis, another source for bargains that
also offers a unique style of Chardonnay,
different than both its cousins in the Côte
de Beaune and other examples from around
the world. Domaine Pinson Frères Chablis
2017 (89, $25) is a good introduction to
the style, offering apple, lemon and tangy
citrus peel flavors. One of my favorites is
the Francine & Olivier Savary Chablis
2017 (90, $27), with its steely profile and
stony, minerally notes. At the premier cru
level, Vignoble Dampt’s Chablis Four-
chaume 2017 (90, $35) delivers weight and
density supporting floral, peach, apple and
stone flavors.
At the regional level, the overriding ap-
pellation is Bourgogne Blanc. These wines
are the calling card for many domaines
and houses, and are worth seeking out in top
vintages. Look for the Albert Bichot Bour-
gogne White Secret de Famille 2017 (90,
$25), Jean Pascal & Fils Bourgogne White
Les Riaux 2017 (90, $30) or Thierry & Pas-
cale Matrot Bourgogne White 2017 (89,
$29). All of these bottlings offer ample fruit,
freshness and balance.
In 2016, Adèle and Elsa Matrot assumed
responsibility for the winemaking at Do-
maine Matrot from father Thierry. Despite
some frost damage in their Bourgogne parcels,
the sisters crafted a vibrant, mineral-tinged
2017 Bourgogne White (89, $29) and several
outstanding Meursaults, including the
95-point Meursault Perrières 2017 ($149).
“We kept a lot of lees as the grapes were very
healthy,” reports Adèle. “We did 15 months
élevage for Meursault Charmes, Perrières and
Puligny-Montrachet Les Combettes, and 12
months for the rest.”
The Matrots’ success is representative of
the region’s fortunes as a whole. Despite the
variability in both the 2016 and 2017 grow-
ing seasons, these are the third and fourth
successive excellent harvests for white Bur-
gundy, giving its fans plenty of terrific wines
for current and future enjoyment. It’s just a
question of finding your comfort zone with
the prices.
Senior editor Bruce Sanderson is Wine Specta-
tor’s lead taster on the wines of Burgundy.
Rating White Burgundy Vintages
2017 90–93 Ripe, fleshy wines with vibrant structures; many ready to NYR
enjoy, but the best need a few years
2016 92 Charming, elegant wines, accessible yet with good structure; Drink or hold
frost reduced yields in some vineyards
2015 95 Ripe, generous and fleshy; domaines that harvested early Drink or hold
retained acidity for aging
2014 96 An excellent vintage, showing great potential; wines are rich Drink or hold
and ripe, with density and concentration
2013 90 Best are sleek and vibrant, with complexity, even creaminess; Drink or hold
others are too lean and shrill
2012 92 Low yields led to rich, concentrated wines; best have Drink or hold
firmed up over the past year, with good acidity
2011 92 Charming, fleshy wines, with ripe fruit and slender profiles, Drink or hold
showing more freshness than from barrel
2010 93 Clean and pure, showing ripe fruit flavors, without being Drink or hold
too rich or powerful; best have good cut, others are soft
2009 89 Exotic in character, with ripe fruit, fleshy textures and soft Drink or hold
structures; most can be enjoyed now
A score range indicates preliminary analysis based on barrel samples and/or a limited sampling; many wines of the vintage
not yet reviewed.
Vintage ratings: 95–100, classic; 90–94, outstanding; 85–89, very good; 80–84, good; 75–79, mediocre; 50–74, not
recommendedDrinkability: “NYR” means most of the wines of the vintage are yet to be released; “drink” means most of the
wines of the vintage are ready to drink; “hold” means most of the ageworthy wines have yet to fully mature.