Bourgogne Blanc Méchalots 2023 Sylvain Pataille | Burgundy

Sylvain Pataille 's Bourgogne blanc Les Méchalots is one of the estate's jewels, revealing the finesse and typicity of Marsannay terroirs, even in the regional appellation. The plots are located at the northern and southern ends of the vineyard, on clay-limestone soils that bring tension and minerality to the Chardonnay, whose first vines were planted in 1949. Sylvain Pataille cultivates the vineyard organically, with biodynamic treatments and exclusively hand-harvested grapes. Winemaking is gentle, with very slow pressing followed by 15-18 months ageing in barrels, of which around a third are new, to preserve the freshness and purity of the fruit and the minerality of the soils.

Philippe Mischler, sommelier at Mundovin : Domaine Sylvain Pataille 's Bourgogne blanc Les Méchalots delivers a Chardonnay truly marked by minerality and purity. Its atypical Côtes de Nuits style is reminiscent of certain Mâconnais wines, and illustrates Sylvain Pataille 's ability to produce white Burgundy cuvées that combine immediate brilliance with ageing potential. Its profile combines tension and generosity, and low-intervention winemaking reveals a wine of great authenticity, true to the Marsannay terroir.

On the nose, Les Méchalots is immediately seductive: notes of white flowers and yellow lemon combine with hints of verbena, offering immediate aromatic freshness. With aeration, the bouquet evolves towards ripe yellow fruit and lightly smoky accents. The whole is complex and precise, and calls for tasting.

On the palate, the texture is both fluid and energetic. The fruit lights up the tasting with elegance, melted pear and white peach harmonizing with the immediate mineral tension. Citrus aromas are accompanied by notes of sweet spice and lightly smoky touches. The finish prolongs the experience on a particularly digestible chalky frame, irresistibly inviting another sip.