Hautes Côtes de Beaune blanc 2024 Domaine François Mikulski

The Hautes Côtes de Beaune Blanc 2024 from Domaine François Mikulski is one of the most refreshing and engaging revelations in the range, a cuvée that Burgundy's finest Chardonnay specialists immediately recognized as a sensual and vibrant first vintage with spring-like freshness. The altitude terroirs of the Hautes Côtes are the new frontier for major signatures from the Côte de Beaune, and François Mikulski, one of Meursault's most precise and admired winemakers, explores them with the same rigour and honesty that guides his entire portfolio.

Terroir and the Vineyard

This Hautes Côtes de Beaune Blanc comes from several parcels of Chardonnay in different villages of the back-slope, at significantly higher altitude than Mikulski's Meursault vineyards, a position that defines this cuvée's particular character. This geographical situation naturally gives Hautes Côtes de Beaune wines more tension, freshness, and minerality than plain Côte d'Or Bourgogne, a tension that Mikulski's philosophy further amplifies, as he pursues purity and precision above all else. The soils are clay-limestone, typical of Burgundy's back-slope, well-draining and naturally rich in minerals, which gives the Chardonnay its freshness, vivacity, and the slight spiced texture found vintage after vintage in this cuvée. Winemaking follows the domaine's constant philosophy: gentle pneumatic pressing, severe racking, long fermentation of three to four months in indigenous yeasts in cellars carved from rock and held at 6–8 °C in winter, then ageing of approximately 12 months in oak barrels with a very modest proportion of new wood, followed by 4 to 6 months in tank before bottling, with fining, a vector of grace and olfactory precision in the winemaker's own words.

Tasting Profile

The colour is very pale gold with green lemon juice reflections, bright and luminous with crystalline clarity. The nose is tender, fresh, and poetic, a myriad of delicate white flowers expressing themselves openly, from daisy to lily-of-the-valley, white carnation to freesia, accompanied by juicy white fruit aromas and a stimulating array of fresh citrus, lemon, grapefruit, orange zest. With aeration, a slight spiced note and hints of white fruit coulis progressively enrich this bouquet with irresistible spring freshness. On the palate, the flesh is savoury, frank, and generous, the natural acidity of the Hautes Côtes asserting itself with vigour and clarity, structuring matter that is both fresh and slightly creamy. The texture is lively and precise, the whole taut and mineral, and the finish fresh, fruity, and lightly spiced, inviting the next glass with remarkable drinkability and generosity for a back-slope Chardonnay. A wine that awakens the palate and honours Mikulski's signature, refined, just, and authentic.

The Domaine

François Mikulski founded his domaine in Meursault with his wife Marie-Pierre in 1991, first vintage in 1992. Son of a Polish officer in the Free French forces, he has built over thirty years one of Burgundy's most respected and sought-after domaines. Today, his son-in-law Thomas Boccon leads the domaine alongside him, perpetuating with the same care and conviction this path of excellence. As François likes to say, "A good wine is a wine that is drunk." A simple and profound philosophy that guides every decision, from vineyard to glass, and that reads through each cuvée in the range, from this Hautes Côtes de Beaune to Meursault's most ambitious Premier Crus.

Food Pairings

This Hautes Côtes de Beaune Blanc will pair beautifully as an aperitif with Burgundy gougères, smoked salmon blini, or a platter of fresh goat cheese. At table, it will be delicious with river fish en papillote with fresh herbs, lobster salad with citrus, steamed scallops, farmyard poultry in light cream sauce, or fresh pasta with courgettes and parmesan. It will also find fine harmony with fish terrine or lightly aged soft cheese. Served between 10 and 12 °C, it will reveal all the freshness, tension, and sincerity of a great altitude Chardonnay signed by one of Meursault's masters.