Jean Philippe Fichet Meursault Gruyaches 2021

Chateau Jean-Philippe Fichet is located in the Meursault district, cultivating grapes across various vineyards to produce a variety of wine styles. Owner Jean-Philippe is a third-generation winemaker from a family of winemakers. He began learning winemaking at a young age in his father's cellar and produced his first wine at the age of 20. At the age of 26, he purchased his own cellar and leased a four-hectare vineyard. Upon the expiration of the lease, the owner, recognizing Jean's extensive experience in grape cultivation, handed the vineyard over to him. In 2000, Jean purchased a new cellar in Meursault and officially launched Chateau Jean-Philippe Fichet in 2002. Jean is meticulous about winemaking, not only cultivating the grapes but also developing the fertilizers needed for the vineyards.

Domaine Jean-Philippe Fichet's vineyards are spread across the Meursault, Auxey-Duresses, Monthelie, and Puligny-Montrachet appellations. The winery cultivates grape varieties tailored to the soil and terroir characteristics of each vineyard, ensuring they perfectly capture the unique characteristics of each variety. The winery employs traditional no-till farming practices and rigorous manual vineyard management to produce high-quality grapes with rich flavor. Once ripe, the grapes are hand-harvested to ensure optimal ripeness.

Meursault, nicknamed "cat's whiskers" by wine enthusiasts, is a village south of Beaune, a major wine region in Burgundy. Neighboring the hills is the renowned Puligny-Montrachet appellation, renowned for its Chardonnay production. The vast and fertile Meursault region, designated an AOC in 1937, is one of Burgundy's most prestigious white wine regions, and its wines are served in renowned restaurants around the world. Meursault has no Grand Cru vineyards, only 19 Premier Cru vineyards, and many renowned lieu-dits (vineyards without Premier Cru designation but capable of producing high-quality wines). Their quality rivals that of Premier Cru vineyards, despite the fact that Burgundy's complex ecosystem is teeming with talented producers.

After careful harvesting, the grapes are gently squeezed using a pneumatic diaphragm machine and then allowed to settle naturally in large tanks for 10-12 hours. The clarified juice is then transferred to oak barrels (fut de chene) for alcoholic and malolactic fermentation. After fermentation, the wine rests in barrels (sur lie) for 11 months, with the need for batonnage (batonnage) determined annually. Jean-Philippe Fichet is particularly particular about the quality of his oak barrels, having meticulously selected them after numerous trials and extensive testing to find the most suitable for his wines.

During this period, the barrels are transferred to a second cellar (chai), where they are kept at a temperature of 5°C to naturally allow tartaric acid and impurities to settle. This meticulous approach is also reflected in the bottling process, with high-quality corks sourced exclusively from trusted suppliers near the winery, significantly minimizing TCA contamination.