Xavier Monnot’s Meursault 1er Cru “Les Charmes” 2023 is a Chardonnay from one of Meursault’s best-known Premier Cru climats, made by a sixth-generation Meursault grower who has bottled under his own name since 2005. Monnot’s approach—hand harvesting, gentle crushing, fermentation in French oak with indigenous yeasts, and élevage with full malolactic and some lees stirring—aims for clarity and texture rather than sheer weight. The wine is listed at about 13% alcohol.
Critical response has been consistently strong, led by an excellent early assessment from Vinous. Neal Martin calls it “very fine,” awarding 94 points and highlighting a “delineated bouquet of crushed stone, light sea spray notes, yellow plum and clementine,” followed by a “well balanced” palate with “a taut line of acidity.” He suggests it may be “just needing a little more concentration… on the finish,” but expects that to arrive as the wine completes its élevage—an important note for anyone tasting young 2023s.
Three additional 93-point reviews reinforce the wine’s quality and style from different angles. Wine Enthusiast’s Anna-Christina Cabrales emphasizes aromatic lift and detail—“Meyer lemon and honeysuckle” with “lime and honeycomb”—and describes a palate that “meld[s]” citrus peel, brown sugar, and white tea before a “saline finish,” concluding it is “structured yet graceful” and particularly well-suited to roasted poultry or pork.
Wine Spectator frames it as a “creamy, charming style,” with “peach, lemon, butterscotch and mineral flavors… wrapped in toasty oak and baking spices,” praising an “elegant and persistent” close and recommending a long drinking window: “Drink now through 2038.” They also report production at 607 cases, with 30 cases imported.
Jasper Morris (Inside Burgundy) notes restraint at first—“not really a massive nose, though it builds”—then “orchard fruit and flesh” supported by “a really fine backbone,” pointing to further development with time. Overall, the 2023 “Les Charmes” reads as a balanced, oak-framed Meursault with clear mineral cues, energetic citrus, and the structure to age.
