Domaine Rougeot Mersault Sous la Velle Sans Soufre 2023
We have 6 in stock (Inventory is live and accurate)
The Land
"Sous la Velle" means "under the village." The climat sits at the foot of the Meursault hill, directly opposite the Chateau de Meursault, below the Premier Cru vineyards that line the middle of the slope. At this lower position, the soils shift: less limestone, more clay, richer and heavier than the hillside plots above. The 2.5-hectare vineyard is planted with vines over 55 years old, and those deep-rooted, clay-grown vines produce wine with noticeably more weight and texture than Meursault's upper-slope expressions. This is not a tight, mineral Meursault built for a decade of waiting; it's broader, rounder, and more voluptuous from the start, which is exactly what the terroir here delivers.
The Wine
100% Chardonnay, biodynamically farmed. Hand-harvested, direct pneumatic press of whole bunches untrimmed, cold settled for two days. Native yeast fermentation and malolactic fermentation in barrel, followed by 20 months of élevage in oak without batonnage. Bottled unfined and unfiltered with zero added sulfur: this is a slanted-label Rougeot, Pierre-Henri's designation for cuvées stable and alive enough to go without protection through the full aging process. The 2023 vintage was warm and ripe — the largest in Burgundy's recorded history — and the clay-rich soils of Sous la Velle moderated the vintage's intensity. The result is generous stone fruit and ripe pear, a lanolin-tinted texture, and a long savory finish. Twenty months in barrel without SO2 is a committed choice; the complexity it adds is audible in every sip.
The People
Pierre-Henri Rougeot is the eighth generation of winemakers in Meursault and among the most thoughtful practitioners in the Côte de Beaune today. His story runs through barrels before it runs through bottles: he spent years in his twenties as an export manager for a tonnellerie, selling oak across France and befriending natural winemakers in the Loire, Languedoc, and Beaujolais who persuaded him that sulfur-free winemaking, done with proper farming and care, produces wines of genuine complexity. He returned to the family domaine in 2010, took over the cellar, and has since built a reputation for Meursault that doesn't conform to the overworked, over-oaked mold. His father still manages the vineyards; certified organic since 2014, biodynamic practices followed. The slanted label on this bottle means Pierre-Henri tasted these barrels through eight or nine months of élevage and found nothing that needed protection. That kind of confidence is earned.
Food Pairing
Meursault at the Sous la Velle level, with 20 months of barrel aging and no added sulfur, deserves a serious plate. Grilled lobster with drawn butter, chicken in cream sauce with morel mushrooms, sole meunière, or sweetbreads in a hazelnut brown butter. The wine's generosity and textural depth let it carry dishes that would overwhelm a leaner white. This is Meursault built for the table, not the tasting room.
We ship wine to most states with a $100 minimum order for shipping. We don't ship spirits nor beer.
Weather shipping advisory: Orders placed during times of extreme heat or extreme cold will be held for no charge until more favorable weather returns.
Burgundy, in eastern France, encompasses several subregions, but it is the Côte d'Or that is home to many of the world's most expensive and revered wines. The region, primarily a single east-facing slope, has mixed limestone soils that vary dramatically from village to village and even vineyard to vineyard. White wines, crafted from Chardonnay, range from rich and opulent to lean and intensely mineral, while Pinot Noir produces silky, perfumed red wines of exceptional finesse and complexity. Centuries of winemaking tradition have resulted in every plot being meticulously recognized and scrutinized, making the Côte d'Or a true capital of terroir.
Burgundy - Cote d'Or
Chardonnay, one of the world's most versatile and beloved white grape varieties, showcases a remarkable spectrum of styles, from the lean, mineral-driven expressions of Chablis in France to the rich, buttery, and oak-aged versions from California's Napa Valley. Its adaptability extends to cooler climates such as Burgundy, where it achieves elegance and complexity, and to regions like Australia's Yarra Valley, known for producing vibrant and fruit-forward renditions. This grape's ability to reflect its terroir, coupled with winemaking techniques, results in a wide array of profiles, including unoaked, crisp varieties with apple and citrus notes, to full-bodied wines with tropical fruit flavors and creamy textures.
