2010 Puligny-Montrachet, Les Referts, 1er Cru, Jean-Philippe Fichet, Burgundy

Chardonnay is often seen as the king of white wine grapes and one of the most widely planted in the world It is suited to a wide variety of soils, though it excels in soils with a high limestone content as found in Champagne, Chablis, and the Côte D`Or. Burgundy is Chardonnay's spiritual home and the best White Burgundies are dry, rich, honeyed wines with marvellous poise, elegance and balance. They are unquestionably the finest dry white wines in the world. Chardonnay plays a crucial role in the Champagne blend, providing structure and finesse, and is the sole grape in Blanc de Blancs.

Jean-Philippe Fichet made his first vintage in 1981. After a few challenges, he settled into his current – and rather splendid – cellars at Creux du Coche, by the Hôpital de Meursault. About Jean-Philippe Fichet Over the years, Jean-Philippe has built up an array of Meursaults, all from lieux-dits. He has no Premiers or Grands Crus in the village, though there’s a small parcel of Premier Cru Referts in Puligny. In the vineyard Jean-Philippe is very much a vigneron; it’s the time in the vineyard that counts. He believes that soil health is critical, and for 15 years he’s been making and applying his own compost to his vineyards.