The village of Meursault is home to countless traditional "maisons de vin," entranched in centuries-old family winemaking traditions. Domaine Joseph Matrot offers not only some of the finest white and red wines from Meursault and environs, but also a refreshing break from the traditional winemaking "recipes" widely employed in the area. The Domaine consists of 18 hectares in total, with individual vineyards located in the villages of Meursault, Puligny Montrachet, Auxey-Duresses and Monthelie. Domaine Matrot�s third-generation winemaker, Thierry Matrot, is a bona-fide Burgundian, Meursault born and bred. But Thierry has his own philosophy about what it takes to make a great Burgundy.

"The wine must be an expression of both the �terroir� and the vintage. In order to achieve this, great care must be taken in the vineyard and the vinification must be adapted to each individual harvest."

In particular, Thierry avoids chaptalization (the addition of sugar to the unfermented grape must, which results in a wine with higher alcohol content). He points out that grapes from one year can be perfectly "ripe" and yield a wine with 12% alcohol, while a mature grape in the following year might yield a wine with 14% alcohol. In other words, the maturity of the grape is not measured solely on the basis of the level of sugar (and hence, potential alcohol). Thierry feels very strongly about preserving and respecting the natural balance of the grape in each vintage, which can be destroyed all too easily by excessive chaptalization.

Domaine Matrot�s brochure proudly proclaims that no new barrels are used for the fermentation and ageing of its white wines. This glaring deviation from the Meursault norm is logical within the context of Thierry Matrot�s pursuit of the unadultered expression of terroir and vintage. Because the vines of Domaine Matrot are 35 years old, on average, the wines are naturally rich and complex. Thierry avoids masking the natural traits of his white wines with the powerful flavours and aromas of toasted oak barrels that have never held wine. He does, however, use 20% new oak in his red wines, which adds a degree of complexity without overpowering the inherent character of the wines.