Domaine François et Antoine Jobard
2, rue de Leignon
21190

Owner / wine maker: François et Antoine Jobard

Background

For many, Meursault typifies great white Burgundy. These wines tend towards the buttery and nutty and are generally more opulent than those of the neighbouring Montrachet twins, Puligny and Chassagne. If there is a trend in Meursault, it would seem to be to produce wines which are ever more concentrated, often verging on the blousy. Call François Jobard’s wines what you like, “blousy” is never a word one would choose to describe them. Figuring amongst the superstars of the appellation, the complex and minerally wines of this domaine are taut and restrained in their youth and need time, around 8 to 10 years in fact, to show at their best.

This quiet and unassuming grower has been making wines at the estate since he took over from his father in 1965. He is one of several generations of Jobards to produce wine in Meursault and was, in turn, joined in 1998 by his son, Antoine. It is difficult to imagine that techniques have changed much in all that time. A minimum of fertilizers and weed-killers are used; weeds are kept at bay with the help of a plough. The vines are pruned short and de-budded to reduce yields. At harvest time the grapes are sorted at the moment of picking and then fermented gently in the deep, cool cellars of the estate. The barrel-ageing is very delicately handled, so that the oak is rarely perceptible. All of this care produces graceful and steely wines described by one French journalist as “l’essence pure et noble du vin”.

It should be noted that their task is made easier by having wines situated in some of the best sites of Meursault. At Villages level, there are two parcels: En la Barre, to the east of the village and les Tillets to the west above the Premier Cru les Gouttes d’Or. All of the Premiers Crus of Meursault are found together on a long ridge to the south-west of the village, in the direction of Puligny Montrachet. Here the Jobards have vines four different sites: in Les Charmes, the largest of the Premiers Crus, covering 31ha and the most southerly. It is divided into les Charmes Dessus (the best part, where the Jobards have their vines) and les Charmes Dessous. The clay-rich limestone soil is deeper here than in neighbouring vineyards and produces easier, more flattering wines. Next to it lies the 16ha of Les Genevrières, named after the juniper bushes which once covered this hillside, where soils are particularly gravelly. The wines here are the most forward of the various Premiers Crus. Continuing northwards, one arrived at les Poruzots. Here again there are the Dessus and Dessous versions, the Jobards’ vines being in the better, higher part of the vineyard. The soil here is shallow, has a high percentage of marl and produces very elegant, fine wines. Lastly, they have a few vines, both red and white in the Blagny 1er Cru climat of la Pièce sous le Bois. Here the vines are situated at close to 300m, well above the slopes of Meursault. They also have a small parcel of Puligny Villages which lies above the road leading from Blagny to Gamay; these are the highest vines of the appellation.

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Vineyard Holdings

Commune	level*	lieu dit /Climat	wines made*	Area (ha)	Vine age	Status*
Meursault	PC	les Charmes	W	0.17	43	O
	PC	les Genevrières	W	0.54	30	O
	PC	les Poruzots	W	0.79	28	O
	PC	Blagny	W	0.21	49	O
	V	en la Barre	W	1.20	35	O
	V	les Tillets	W	0.70	25	SC
	R	Sous la Velle, En l’Ormeau, En la Monatine	W	0.60	25	O
Puligny	V	Trézin	W	0.17	50	O
Blagny	PC	la Pièce sous le Bois	R	0.29	47	Of
		Total Ha		4.67

*Key

R/W= Red or White wines made in this lieu dit / climat
R	= Regional appellation	O	= Owner
V	= Village	SC	= Share cropper
PC	= Premier Cru	TF	= Tenant farmer
GC	= Grand Cru