2021 Domaine Gaëlle et Jérôme Meunier Mercurey, Burgundy

In 2005 Gaëlle et Jérôme Meunier rented their first parcel of vines and so embarked on their path together. The parcel comprised just under two acres in the commune of Bouzeron, and they sold the harvest to the négoce. At the time, Gaëlle was busy as a mother—a son came in 2005; twins arrived in 2006—while Jérôme was busy carefully adding several parcels in Mercurey to their stable of vines. It wasn’t until 2007 that they made and bottled their own wine. They scraped together funds to buy a small building in Mellecey, a village near Mercurey, and they converted it into a winery where they made their first vintage. The photo below documents the 2014 vintage by their then seven-year-old daughter. From 2007 to 2010 Gaëlle handled all the vinifications and did the cellar work. Her daytime job was as a manager at an enology laboratory, which she quit in 2009 to go full time at the domaine. Meanwhile Jérôme managed the business of Domaine Maroslavac-Tremeau in Puligny until 2010, when the proprietress took her retirement and the domaine closed its doors. This allowed Jérôme to join his wife full time at their nascent estate in 2011. Madame Maroslavac-Tremeau bid Jérôme a gracious farewell by giving the couple the chance to rent over ten acres of her vines, predominantly in the appellation of Puligny with a little in Santenay. Today, the Meuniers work approximately 45 parcels, totaling 30 acres from Puligny down to Rully. Of that acreage, one-third of the crop is delivered straight to the co-op; what they bottle comes from almost 20 acres. They farm sustainably and aim to produce vin de terroir that emphasizes fruit above all—wood strictly plays a supporting role—through low yields, spontaneous ferments, and rarely any chaptalization at all. They typically do not fine their wines and filter lightly. Production averages 2,000 cases but has dipped considerably below that in recent short years.