Marion Javillier was justifiably upbeat when we visited in November 2023. She had wine in her cellar after the traumatising low volumes of 2021. And she should certainly be permitted a smile given the quality of the estate’s 2022s.
 
Domaine Javillier dates back to 1945 but really made its name when Patrick Javillier took over the running from his father in 1974, building the vineyard holdings up from their original two hectares to the current eleven. Patrick built a loyal following over several decades for wines that invariably show beautiful balance and approachability, wines of pure, pleasurable enjoyment, yet wines that also speak of their terroir. His work is now carried on by his daughter Marion and his son-in-law, Pierre-Emmanuel Lamy, who have been bringing refinements and improvements, without altering the fundamental and appealing style, for more than a decade already. These continue to be wines that should be on your radar.
 
The Cuvée des Forgets epitomises the domaine’s trademark ease and harmony while the Cuvée Oligocène has long and widely been regarded as one of the stand-out Bourgogne Blanc of the Côte de Beaune, showing unusual mineral depth and presence for a wine of such humble status. The two single site wines of Clos du Cromin and Les Tillets show contrasting styles also, with the Clos du Cromin located just north of the village, towards Volnay, and known for a higher proportion of clay, which brings a roundness. Les Tillets is at the top of the slope, south of the village, at an altitude of over 300 metres, a much cooler site on thinner soils of hard limestone, leading to a wine of more linear, mineral tension. The Corton-Charlemagne is always an excellent expression of this magnificent Grand Cru.

Please see below for my notes on the 2022s from last month's visit.
 
Domaine Patrick Javillier, Bourgogne-Côte d’Or, Cuvée des Forgets 2022
£150 per 6 bottle case in bond
Clean, fresh fruit salad purity on nose. Orchard fruits, pear, apple. Good fruit and balance through the entire palate. Gentle citrus touch at end. Mouthwatering in its freshness. A lovely glass of wine. Drink 2024-2027 (ROM)
 
Domaine Patrick Javillier, Bourgogne-Côte d’Or, Cuvée Oligocène 2022
£180 per 6 bottle case in bond
Floral white stone restraint. So different to the more fruit-led Forgets. Here there is complexity, tension and minerality that have always made this Bourgogne Blanc such a standout. Long and zingy with yellow grapefruit freshness at the end. Drink 2025-2030 (ROM)
 
Domaine Patrick Javillier, Meursault, Clos du Cromin 2022
£345 per 6 bottle case in bond
Tight and closed on the day of tasting but with an evident core of fruit, which, on the palate, shows balanced ripeness and a tender breadth, a consequence of the richer soils of this site. There is a sense of structure too with the finish exhibiting a tight mineral presence offset by a ripe citrus intensity. This is all about harmony and freshness and will give very pleasurable drinking over more than a decade. Drink 2025-2035 (ROM)
 
Domaine Patrick Javillier, Meursault, Les Tillets 2022
£345 per 6 bottle case in bond
Pure, fresh-fruited and with a floral touch on the nose. Immediately tensile on the palate, typical of this higher altitude vineyard. The beautiful mineral tension and energy carry the pure, healthy citrus and orchard fruit, which show a cool sense of ripeness and a long, fine mineral persistence. Drink 2026-2036 (ROM)
 
Domaine Patrick Javillier, Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru 2022
£1,020 per 6 bottle case in bond
Slow to unfurl, but such a wealth of orchard and citrus fruit. This builds on the palate, spreading silkily until the mineral cut emerges and the tension and energy assert on a long, long, pure crystalline finish. A very fine Corton-Charlemagne. Drink 2026-2040 (ROM)

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