Meursault Premier Cru Les Charmes

Meursault Premier Cru Les Charmes is a named climat within the Meursault appellation in the Côte de Beaune, Burgundy. The producing commune is Meursault. The climat lies at the foot of the slope and is oriented to the east. It is divided into Les Charmes Dessus and Les Charmes Dessous.

The Premier Cru sites of Meursault are for the most part on Jurassic limestone and marl; for Les Charmes, hard limestone, marl limestone and calcareous marl are documented. The area has a cool oceanic climate with continental as well as Rhône-Saône influences, around 750 millimetres of rainfall per year, and a mean annual temperature of about 10.5 °C.

The white wines of the appellation are produced mainly from Chardonnay; Pinot Blanc is also permitted. They are dry and combine a pronounced bouquet with grilled and almond notes, a soft mouthfeel, acidity and persistent aromatics. For Meursault Premier Cru Charmes, floral, vanilla, notes reminiscent of toasted bread, as well as anise and mint notes are also described. The associated wine is the Meursault Premier Cru Les Charmes by Pierre Girardin.

Winegrowing in Meursault has been linked to the monks of Cîteaux since 1098; the appellation status has existed since 1937. Les Charmes has been one of the climats that may carry the Premier Cru designation since 1943. The appellation rules stipulate at least 9,000 vines per hectare and prohibit irrigation. For a documented plot, soil cultivation, subsequent cover cropping, a low number of treatments, hand harvest and systematic sorting are laid down.