Situated in the Côte de Beaune, Meuneveaux is a charming, family-run winery nestled in the picturesque town of Aloxe-Corton. Under the expert guidance of Freddy Meuneveaux and his talented wife Daisy, oenologist by training, the domaine has earned a stellar reputation for producing consistently excellent, good-value wines.
To what might we attribute the domaine’s commitment to excellence, and the quality of their wines? Is it thanks to long years of study and training, the vigneron blood that runs through their veins, or their many vineyards' ideal positioning directly on and at the base of the famous Corton hill?
Let’s dive into the details of Domaine Meuneveaux, and then you can make the call for yourself.
The Domaine
Aloxe-Corton is a small village in Burgundy’s Côte de Beaune region, the southern portion of the famous Côte d’Or.
The domaine was founded by Freddy’s great-grandfather in the early 1900s, with ownership passed down for four generations before coming under Freddy’s management in 2013.
At 16 acres, the domaine is on the smaller side of Burgundy vineyards. While production is not enormous, the wine benefits from a high degree of personal involvement and supervision – another possible reason for the wine’s critical acclaim.
Despite the domaine’s smaller size, the vineyards nevertheless cover 11 different appellations - including 2 Premier and 3 Grand Crus.
The Vigneron
Freddy Meuneveaux’s wine education didn’t start in 2013, when he took over the family vineyard. Nor did it start in 2009, when he joined the operation as an employee.
Far from it, in fact. Freddy spent 7 years at the prestigious Lycée Viticole de Beaune (the Viticultural Academy of Beaune) learning the ins and outs of winemaking from one of the region’s top schools. To round out his education with practical knowledge, he then spent many years working at vineyard sites across Burgundy, learning his craft at some of the best appellations in Burgundy like Nuits-St-Georges and Gevrey-Chambertin. Surprisingly for one of Burgundian origin, he also did a stint right here in the USA, at the Del-Rio Vineyards in Oregon.
When Freddy took over management with his wife Daisy, an oenologist (professionally trained to supervise the production, storage, analysis, bottling, preservation and sale of wine), he came with a long and storied resume, a renewed appreciation for his home region of Burgundy, and a strong desire to apply what he’d learned to the continued improvement of his family vineyard.
Clearly, something’s been working. The wines produced since have consistently earned top scores among wine magazines. Having tasted it ourselves, we’re proud to offer it a rotating spot in our quarterly wine bundles.
The Philosophy
An excellent education and a long family history of winemaking make Freddy well-placed to strike the right balance between traditional philosophies and modern techniques. This is an approach emblematic of Burgundy’s younger generations, and Freddy is right there with them pushing the envelope.
The domaine retains Burgundy’s core beliefs in pure and authentic expression of terroir, indigenous yeasts, and minimal intervention throughout the winemaking process to let the grapes speak for themselves. At the same time, Freddy does not shy away from meticulous and modern winemaking practices, such as strict temperature control, gentle pneumatic pressing of the grapes, precise regulation of timing, and regular analysis of the wine to determine the perfect moment to move it from one stage to the next.
In the fields, the domaine’s approach is responsible stewardship of the vines, and Freddy is deeply invested in the ideals of healthy, sustainable agriculture. The domaine eschews the use of pesticides and herbicides, picks and sorts grapes by hand, and even plows certain fields on horseback, making it possible to weed sloped hills without the use of chemicals.
This puts the vineyard in the territory of natural or low-intervention wines, though the domaine refrains from using that label as practices do differ in some respects - grapes are all destemmed before pressing, and are gently filtered before bottling.
The Wine
While the Côte de Beaune is perhaps best known for white wines, most of those produced in and around the village of Aloxe-Corton are in fact red. As a point of distinction, the slopes of the Corton hill are the only place in the whole of the Côte de Beaune to produce Grand Cru red wines. (Grand Cru white wines are also produced on this hill, including Corton and Corton-Charlemagne.)
This allocation is reflected in Domaine Meuneveaux’s production, with 85% of their wines being red, and the remainder white.
With a thoughtful mix of both young and older vines, the domaine produces wines across 11 different appellations, from regional on through village up to Premier and Grand Cru. While each of these are delicious in their own right, of most interest to us are the latter two.
Below are some general impressions from each of these wines, understanding that different vintage conditions may emphasize some factors or minimize others.
Premier Crus:
Aloxe-Corton 1er Cru (red)
A sparkling ruby red with fruity notes of blackberry and raspberry, underpinned by a subtle minerality and soft oakiness. Robust and full-bodied with a gentle tannic grip, the wine retains its freshness through a crisp acidity and notable fruit.
Beaune “Reversées” 1er Cru (red)
A rich and intense red, well-defined with an elegant cherry and strawberry bouquet alongside light woody notes. Silky smooth tannins with a rounded palate.
Grand Crus
Corton-Perrières Grand Cru (red)
A deep ruby red, reflected in a refined bouquet of dark cherry and cassis notes. Rich, vibrant, and well-rounded on the palate, with soft tannins. A wine with a lively acidity that typically would do well with several years in the cellar.
Corton-Bressandes Grand Cru (red)
A beautiful dark red with a lovely perfume of strawberry and blackberry. Rich on the palate with round tannins and a nice balance, with notes of bright red fruit and minerality towards the finish. Generous and opulent, and better with some aging.
Corton Grand Cru (white)
A pale gleaming gold with aromatic finesse and minerality. Well-balanced on the palate with a crisp and refreshing acidity with tasting notes reminiscent of toasty brioche, apricot and white peach. On the finish, light spicy notes of cinnamon and dried fruit. A wine with pronounced concentration.
Conclusion
If you had to decide, to what would you attribute the vineyard’s critical success? Can excellence in winemaking be learned, or does it run in the blood? Can it all be attributed to excellent vines and a perfect site placement, or is it the result of harmonious collaboration between a family winemaker and a skilled oenologist?
Perhaps it is all the above, or perhaps the answer lies in a certain indefinable je ne sais quoi. Whatever the case may be, we sincerely hope the domaine continues on its current trajectory for many many years to come.
Santé!