Domaine Du Chancelier Meursault 'Les Murgers' (Case of 6)

6x750ml

During our latest adventure in France, we happened upon a domaine that stole the spotlight: Domaine Du Chancelier. Accompanied by some of Ontario’s finest sommeliers, we left this enchanting estate buzzing with excitement, all wondering, “When can we get these wines in Ontario?!”

Domaine du Chancelier, a burgeoning gem helmed by the passionate duo Elsa and Cédric Ehrhart, is steeped in the rich tradition and history that define the region. Nestled in the heart of Beaune, the estate calls an 18th-century building home—once belonging to the illustrious founder of Hospices de Beaune, Nicolas Rolin, and his wife, Guigone de Salins. This location wasn’t chosen at random; it reflects the Ehrharts’ commitment to honoring Burgundy's illustrious heritage while forging their own remarkable journey.

Since crafting their inaugural vintage in 2016, using hand-selected fruit, Elsa and Cédric have diligently expanded their holdings across Burgundy, now boasting five hectares of prized land. Their first wine from their own vineyards debuted in 2020. For plots they don’t own, they engage in long-term contracts with local growers, personally overseeing picking dates and handling the harvest. Their commitment to organic farming practices, including with sourced fruit, respects the natural cycles of the land, nurturing living soils for a pure expression of terroir.

The winery is a marvel in itself, having undergone a complete transformation into a state-of-the-art facility that is entirely gravity-fed. This design echoes their dedication to minimal intervention with the fruit. Each grape is hand-harvested into small boxes and kept chilled overnight. For whites, the grapes are pressed directly, allowing the juice to gently oxidize before it’s placed in barrels for fermentation. There are no additives, no chaptalization, no acidification—only the natural guidance of indigenous yeasts and the delicate aging on fine lees, with neither battonage nor racking until bottling.

The reds are treated with equal care, fully destemmed and allowed to undergo a cold fermentation in a blend of stainless steel and barrel. Some parcels utilize “Vinification Integrale,” a unique method where the red grapes ferment in the very barrels they will later age in, promoting a gentle extraction. In this process, 400 kilograms of grapes are placed in 500-liter barrels, sealed, and left to ferment. Once completed, the presses yield the juice, which is placed back into the same barrels for malolactic fermentation and aging—all without the inclusion of sulfur.

From vineyard to cellar to bottle, every step at Domaine du Chancelier is executed with meticulous precision, ensuring no detail is overlooked. The culmination of this labor? Exquisite Burgundies that undoubtedly mark the emergence of a rising star in the wine world.

Coming from 45-year-old vines thriving in stony, clay-limestone soils, this wine is meticulously crafted with a dense planting of 10,000 plants per hectare. Following hand harvesting and a strict selection, it’s vinified sans sulfur in 228- and 500-liter oak barrels, followed by long lees aging of around 12 months. The result? A luxurious and captivating experience in every sip.