Patrick Javillier
Summary
Domaine Patrick Javillier is a family-owned estate in Meursault, Burgundy, managing 10 hectares of predominantly Chardonnay vineyards across varied terroirs, from high-elevation limestone sites to clay-rich lower parcels that create their acclaimed village-level wines. Their distinctive winemaking approach combines traditional methods with an innovative aging technique that ferments portions of the same cuvée separately in oak and stainless steel before blending, balancing richness with precision while maintaining faithful expressions of Burgundian terroir.
Heritage & Leadership
Patrick Javillier established his eponymous domaine in 1974 in the Burgundian village of Meursault. The Javillier family's roots in Burgundian viticulture extend back several generations, with Patrick's father, Raymond Javillier, previously selling his grapes to local négociants rather than bottling under a family label. Patrick changed this practice after completing his oenological studies, gradually expanding the domaine's holdings and transitioning to estate bottling.
In the early 1990s, Patrick's reputation grew significantly through his distinctive approach to Meursault winemaking. Today, the domaine operates under the leadership of Patrick and his daughter Marion Javillier, who joined the family business in 2002 after completing her viticultural and oenological education. Marion has taken on increasing responsibility in both vineyard management and winemaking, ensuring continuity of the domaine's approach while implementing subtle refinements to their techniques.
Vineyards & Wines
Domaine Patrick Javillier encompasses approximately 10 hectares of vineyards, primarily concentrated in Meursault but also including parcels in Savigny-lès-Beaune, Aloxe-Corton, and Corton-Charlemagne. The domaine's holdings in Meursault include several lieu-dits such as Les Tillets, Clos du Cromin, Les Clousots, and Les Murgers de Monthélie.
The vineyards feature predominantly limestone and clay soils, with variations in composition across different parcels. In Meursault Les Tillets, located on higher slopes at approximately 300 meters elevation, the soil contains more limestone, contributing to the wine's mineral character. The lower-lying vineyards like Clos du Cromin have deeper, clay-rich soils that produce wines with greater richness and body.
Chardonnay dominates the domaine's plantings, accounting for approximately 80% of production, with the remainder dedicated to Pinot Noir. The average vine age ranges from 20 to 60 years, with some older parcels contributing to the concentration in their top cuvées.
Patrick Javillier is particularly known for his village-level Meursault wines, including the cuvées "Les Tillets," "Clos du Cromin," and the blended "Tête de Murger." The domaine also produces the Bourgogne Blanc "Cuvée des Forgets" and "Cuvée Oligocène," which have developed strong reputations for their quality relative to their classification.
Philosophy & Practice
The Javillier approach to viticulture emphasizes meticulous vineyard work to ensure optimal grape quality. The domaine practices sustainable viticulture with careful soil management, limited treatments, and manual harvesting. In the winery, Patrick and Marion employ gentle pressing of whole clusters for their white wines, followed by settling of the must for 12-24 hours before fermentation.
A distinctive aspect of the Javillier method involves the use of both stainless steel tanks and oak barrels during the aging process for their white wines. This technique, which Patrick developed in the 1980s, involves fermenting and aging portions of the same cuvée separately in different vessels before blending. Typically, 50-70% of the wine ages in oak barrels (with 15-20% new oak) while the remainder ages in stainless steel, allowing for both complexity from oak and preservation of freshness from steel.
For their red wines, the domaine employs traditional Burgundian techniques including partial destemming, cold maceration, and aging in French oak barrels for 12-18 months. The percentage of new oak varies by cuvée but generally remains moderate at 20-30% for their premier wines.
The Javilliers practice extended lees aging with regular bâtonnage (lees stirring) for their white wines during the first few months, gradually reducing frequency to allow the wines to settle and clarify naturally before bottling without fining and with only light filtration when necessary.