The Great Divide: Puligny & Meursault
Ask any white Burgundy lover and they will likely declare their allegiance to one or the other: the wines of Puligny-Montrachet or the wines of Meursault. Of course, there are a few peacekeepers. I recently asked a friend who works in wine retail in Sonoma his preference, and he wisely answered: “What’s good is good, I don’t discriminate. But if I had to choose, I’d choose Meursault.” Digging deeper into the why, he explained that he stylistically preferred the breadth of most Meursault versus the raciness of Puligny, and he felt that he could access more satisfying bottles at more affordable price points from Meursault than he could in Puligny-Montrachet.
No answer is wrong, but his brings forth a range of interesting topics about these two iconic white wine regions. These two villages border each other, and are often used to illustrate the dichotomy of the Côte de Beaune. Both villages produce primarily (or exclusively) white wines. It is fascinating to see how different two wines can be from villages a mere two and a half miles apart, not including the surrounding vineyards.
Meursault has no grand cru vineyards, while Puligny-Montrachet has four grands crus, two of which are shared with Chassagne-Montrachet. Wine quality, politics, taxes, and preference of course play a role in the classifications in Burgundy, but it is a notable difference between the two villages. The premier cru vineyards Charmes, Genevrieres, and especially Perrières offer top examples of Meursault that arguably punch at grand cru level. The two villages display a typicity, at least in theory, that generalizes the wines of Puligny-Montrachet as lithe, elegant, and focused. Meursault, on the other hand, is often categorized as broad, rich, and ripe. Historically, these two different styles were attributed to a variety of factors: the varying presence of limestone and marl in each village, a range of altitudes that can affect grape ripening, and the lower water table in Meursault, allowing for its wines to be aged longer in barrel in the village’s naturally cool, deep cellars. Air-conditioning technology, of course, challenges that theory, since the wines of Puligny can now mature in barrel no matter how naturally deep the cellars are. The lower water tables of Meursault can also affect water in the soil, and some posit that the potential for lower yields in Meursault contributes to the concentration of the wines overall in addition to other factors.
Despite these broad categorizations, lovers of the grand cru of Puligny-Montrachet know that Montrachet and Bâtard-Montrachet are hardly lithe; they are some of the richest, most powerful expressions of Chardonnay in all of Burgundy. Likewise, Meursault Perrières offers elegance atop lush orchard fruit, striking an exquisite balance that might surprise those who have only ever had the pleasure of drinking village Meursault. The characteristics of the top vineyards in each village transcends the trend, yet they also define the villages. They also continue to change via enhanced technology, a better understanding of vineyards, and of course, climate change. The more one tastes and learns about these two villages, the more questions arise. Are the wine styles truly a reflection of each villages’ terroir, or are the wines being made to fit into a particular, perceived style? And what speaks more from the bottle, the hand of the vigneron, or the place?
This last question is one that spans beyond the villages of Puligny and Meursault. This allows us to pose the question on a broader scale. Producers across Burgundy with holdings in different areas often make wines that are easier to identify by producer than by place. Domaine de la Romanée- Conti’s Corton-Charlemagne and Le Montrachet are unquestionably their unique expressions, defined both by the land and their winemaking philosophy. Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey makes wines from St. Aubin, Meursault, Corton-Charlemagne, and Bâtard-Montrachet that express a sense of place but perhaps reveal a classic “PYCM feel.” Jean-Marc Roulot’s style and philosophy runs through all of his bottlings, whether they hail from Meursault, Puligny 1er Cru Cailleret, or Corton-Charlemagne further north. Domaine de la Pousse d’Or produces all of its holdings with a “Volnay touch” — there is elegance and finesse in their Bonnes Mares, Chambolle-Musigny bottlings, and Échézeaux that both makes sense and challenges notions of typicity. I adore all of the aforementioned producers and wines, yet I appreciate that they see terroir through a specific lens. Ask four artists to paint the same landscape and the result will likely be four unique paintings with whispers of similarity.
So where does this leave us as we endeavor to interpret village or vineyard style? Is the identity of a village more authentic from some producers than others?
I think — are you ready for it — it depends. It depends on the vintage, the vineyard, and the producer, especially when it comes to Puligny-Montrachet and Meursault. Generalizations in Burgundy are both necessary and problematic. Just as complex as the myriad of soils from Chablis to the Mâcon formed millions of years ago through violent rifts, so too is there a complexity in the interpretation of place and what defines it the most. In cooler vintages, Meursault can present a bit more like Puligny-Montrachet. A taster with no experience in the grand cru of Puligny-Montrachet might mistake the breadth of Bâtard-Montrachet for Meursault in a warm or cool vintage, and their assessment would not necessarily be wrong.
In the grand scheme, it may not matter whether a drinker prefers Meursault to Puligny-Montrachet or vice versa. It may not even matter if one can correctly identify one or the other blind. Why? Because a range of factors, including vintage conditions, winemaking philosophy, vineyard access, bottle variation, and beyond affect the finished wine. What matters more, perhaps, is the idea of place — the concept that a wine can uniquely reflect its origins while also challenging them. I have always believed that terroir is a moving target, even in the most classic of regions. I also believe that we see terroir most easily in Burgundy because of controlled grape variety, yield, and vineyard source. In order to comprehend Puligny-Montrachet and Meursault, we must generalize. In order to analyze and evaluate them, we must question common notions.
It takes patience and curiosity to understand the nuances of Meursault, Puligny, and really, all of Burgundy. What a wonderful and delicious challenge.
Below are some suggestions for wines that may confirm or challenge your notions of these two villages. Happy drinking!
Meursault
Domaine Yves Boyer-Martenot Meursault ‘Les Narvaux’
Domaine Rémi Jobard Meursault 1er Cru ‘Genevrières’
Domaine Roulot Meursault 1er Cru ‘Clos des Boucheres’ Monopole
Domaine des Comtes Lafon Meursault 1er Cru ‘Charmes’
Puligny-Montrachet
Domaine Jacques Carillon Puligny Montrachet
Domaine de la Pousse d’Or Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru ‘Les Caillerets’
Louis Jadot Domaine des Heritiers Les Demoiselles Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru
Domaine Bachelet-Monnot Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru
Works Consulted:
Vins de Bourgogne, 2025. https://www.vins-bourgogne.fr/