Wine Advisor
Heitz Lochardet, Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrieres 2018
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2018 Meursault Les Perrières 1er Cru is slightly honeyed on the nose and lacks the mineralité of the best Perrières. Maybe picked just a little tardy? The palate leans to the richer side compared to other Perrières, though there is sufficient acidity to maintain freshness. Lightly-spiced; ginger and lemongrass emerge towards the finish, that should be tamed by time, so stick it away for a few years. Promising. Tasted blind at the Burgfest 2018 white tasting.
About the Producer
The history of the estate begins with the Nié-Vantey family. The family then owned vines from Santenay to Clos de Vougeot and had a significant trading activity. Mr. Georges Lochardet, a great wine merchant on the Côte de Beaune, marries Marcelle Nié. They then owned twenty hectares of vines as well as several farms. Their son Armand Lochardet inherited half of the estate. Armand Heitz, the grandson of Armand Lochardet, obtained his oenologist diploma after his studies at the Changins engineering school in Switzerland and then took over the reins of the Domaine. In 2012, Armand began growing vines on a plot of Burgundy Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.After this experience, the estate decided to expand in order to offer a more diversified range of appellations. Armand discovered that many plots lacked vitality due to excessive cultivation, and even after using biodynamic methods for 5 years without improvement, he decided to try to follow sustainable agriculture and agroecology to rebuild an environment suitable for microbial survival. In just 6 months, the vineyard returned to its original vitality. He believes that wine should not only focus on the quality of the grapes themselves, but that the entire grapevine is the source of all wine quality. Therefore, Armand uses whole-cluster fermentation for both red and white wines. As the owner Armand Heitz gains more attention, the winery has officially changed its name from Heitz-Lochardet to Armand Heitz since 2019.
