Why it matters
The producer
At 7 RD 974 in Meursault, Domaine François Mikulski spans 8 hectares in Burgundy's Côte de Beaune. Chardonnay, Aligoté and Pinot Noir form the core grape varieties, with Bourgogne Côte d'Or Blanc, Bourgogne Côte d'Or Rouge and Crémant de Bourgogne in the range.
The domaine works across still white, still red and sparkling wine. Its Bourgogne Côte d'Or Rouge comes from Pinot Noir, its Bourgogne Côte d'Or Blanc from Chardonnay, and its Crémant de Bourgogne combines four grape varieties.
Place and vineyards
Where the wines begin
Meursault is the domaine's home village in Burgundy's Côte de Beaune, with the cellar at 7 RD 974, 21190 Meursault. The still wines carry Bourgogne Côte d'Or in their names, while the sparkling bottle carries Crémant de Bourgogne.
These labels move between a Meursault base, the wider Côte d'Or designation and the regional Crémant category. The village name identifies where the domaine works; the bottle names identify the appellation or regional category of each wine.
In the cellar
Vineyards and cellar
Farming uses home produced compost, ploughing and environmentally friendly plant protection, with a carefully preserved biological balance of the soil among the cultivation goals.
Pneumatic pressing and rigorous must settling begin the cellar work. Ambient yeasts ferment the sugars for 3 to 4 months in cool cellars held at 6 to 8°C in winter. The wines then age in oak barrels on lees for 12 months, using about 20% new oak, before fining. Lees are spent yeast cells, and ageing on them can broaden texture while oak adds oxygen and spice.
Wines to know
The range in view
The range has three clear forms. Bourgogne Côte d'Or Blanc is a still white made from Chardonnay. Bourgogne Côte d'Or Rouge is a still red made from Pinot Noir. Crémant de Bourgogne is the sparkling wine, composed of 41% Chardonnay, 37% Pinot Noir, 15% Aligoté and 7% Gamay.
The red brings tannin, the white is full bodied and supple, and the Crémant carries stony salinity. The bottles therefore separate by colour, grape variety and sparkling format, with oak élevage applying to the still wines.