Domaine Matrot: A Quick Visit to 2020 Delight

Domaine Matrot and I date back many years, to when Thierry was running the business. During those years, the wines became more refined and enjoyable, as the old, sometimes quite rustic, style was replaced with delicacy and finesse.

Matrot is a large, old estate, dating back to 1835. And while Thierry is a cheerful fellow, the wines have never entered the super-elite of Meursault (Roulot/Lafon/Arnaud Ente/Coche-Dury), but rather have stayed in the niche just below, where the wines are still affordable and attainable.

Now Adéle and Elsa – his two daughters – have taken over, and have continued the wines’ improvement. They have become even more delicate and refined (the wines, that is), and they give me quite a bit of hedonistic pleasure. Put in plain English, the Matrot wines are what I would call classic Meursault in the best sense, and they now have a hedonistic delicacy that makes them particularly enjoyable. I find fine emotional qualities even in the red Meursaults (called Blagny, a specialty of the Matrot estate). It’s easy to overlook the Matrot wines in the myriad of Meursault brands, but doing so would indeed be an error.

So to my quick, casual visit.

Visiting and tasting the amazing 2020s

I visited Domaine Matrot in late April, and was received by the charming Adéle. The spirit of the Matrot family is as strong and proud as it was under Thierry, and always with a humorous element to spur a grin or a smile. Adéle is most certainly carrying this on.

The mighty 2020s

The 2020s at Domaine Matrot are outstanding, and the whites rank amongst the best wines I’ve ever tasted from this fine estate.

To say that the 2020s are the best, period, would require deeper knowledge of the older vintages. However, the improvements in recent years have certainly given the Matrot girls a strong foundation on which to shine in a year like 2020.

The 2020s have an effortless yet still intense quality that makes the wines hedonistic without being too powerful or forceful. The 2014 whites are great, but to me, they can sometimes be a bit on the intense side, lacking the effortless, delicate nature of the 2020s. Add to this that the Matrot style is somewhat on the firm side, and the 2020s are a match made in heaven.

What can I say? I adore the 2020 Matrots.

I tasted a small selection of wines, and here are the most interesting bottles – starting out with two exciting reds.

The Domaine Matrot Meursault Rouge 2020 has an airy, organic feel, with the extraction well judged, giving a lightness suitable to a red Meursault. It’s a vin de soif, without the greatest complexity, but a lovely, perfumed, scent from the cold pre-fermentation.

(Drink from 2025) – Very Good – (88p) – Tasted 28/04/2022 –

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The Matrot Blagny 1er Cru La Pièce Sous le Bois 2020 is one of my favourite red Blagnys. Matrot has two hectares of La Pièce Sous le Bois, and half of it is red. In fact, the vineyard as a whole is dominated by different parts of the Matrot family. This is floral and vivid, with a delightfully airy note – a vin d’emotion.

(Drink from 2028) – Fine+ – (91-92p) – Tasted 28/04/2022 –

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The Matrot Bourgogne Blanc 2020 was bottled last August, hence it’s already showing some bottle age. It’s not a wine of huge complexity, but is does set the bar high for the rest of the whites. It’s fresh and vivid, and with good intensity; this is enjoyable, with a good mineral note making the cuvee interesting.

(Drink from 2023) – Very Good – (87-88p) – Tasted 28/04/2022 –

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The Meursault Village 2020 is a huge cuvee – in a good year, 30,000 bottles – and its complexity is limited, as it is a blended cuvee. It is, however, a wine with good mid-palate freshness and fruit. It’s rich, without being over the top; just perfectly balanced. The bottom line is it’s drinking very well indeed, with classic Matrot fruitiness.

(Drink from 2028) – Fine – (90p) – Tasted 28/04/2022 –

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The Matrot Meursault Blagny 1er Cru 2020 is in the classical Blagny style, with a dominant limestone component that is sturdy and showing quite some mineral power. Blagny is different from Meursault, and offers a different mineral background from the rich, slightly more opulent Meursaults from the lower part of the appellation. A perfect companion for grilled lobster at a summer lunch, I would prefer a bit of age to give some maturity to the bouquet.

(Drink from 2033) – Fine – (91-92p) – Tasted 28/04/2022 –

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The Meursault Charmes 2020 comes from a hectare of Matrot vines, with three parcels providing grapes for the cuvee. The upper part (Charmes Dessus) comprises 70% of the holding, while 30% is in the lower part, giving the wine some oomph and generosity. The top part gives a delicate, mineral profile, making a balanced, almost sensual Charmes. This is a lovely wine, and it confirms the overall quality of Charmes in 2020.

(Drink from 2033) – Very Fine – (93-94p) – Tasted 28/04/2022 –

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Domaine Matrot Puligny-Montrachet Les Chalumeaux 2020

This is my first taste of this wine from Matrot. It’s from a terroir located in Puligny, but on the border with Blagny and the famous Hameau de Blagny vineyard. Puligny Les Chalumeaux 2020 has a limestone stance combined with the open, floral profile of this special terroir. A delightful glass by any standard, it is sort of a romance between the Blagny 1er cru and the Meursault Charmes.

(Drink from 2033) – Very Fine – (92-94p) – Tasted 28/04/2022 –