1998 Domaine Rougeot Charmes - Meursault 1er Cru - 2 Magnums (1.5L)

Charmes, often written as Les Charmes, is one of Meursault's largest and best-known Premier Cru vineyards. Found on the lower slope of the Cote d'Or at the southern end of the village, it is one of a cluster of top climats with Genevrieres on the northern border and Perrieres above it on the slopes. Charmes Premier Cru wines, made entirely from Chardonnay, are vibrant and honeyed with rich, nutty characters and floral overtones.

This part of Meursault has some of the best terroir on the Cote de Beaune for white wine. The rocky, calcareous soils are thin and well drained, offering a stressful but ultimately rewarding environment for the wines. As Charmes is one of Meursault's largest vineyards, the soil is rather varied here, ranging from thin and stony on the top of the hill to deeper and slightly richer at the bottom. This is underpinned by a broken layer of limestone bedrock, which helps the vines to develop deep and complex root systems to access water deep in the ground.

Charmes is located on a gentle slope at the bottom of the Cote d'Or escarpment, and is not as steep as some of the vineyards on the hill above – notably Perrieres. However, the gentle gradient is enough to expose the vines to the morning sunlight, as well as shelter them from the brighter afternoon sun. This balance between warm and cool influence makes for a long, slow ripening period, which helps grapes hold on to their acidity as they develop rich flavor complexity. Ultimately this translates as balance in the final wine.

Charmes is split into two lieux-dits, and (as is often the case) the top part – dessus, or "above" – is favored by critics. In fact, many commentators have questioned the Premier Cru status of the lower half – dessous, or "below", suggesting that it should be demoted to simple Meursault "village" wine. However, this has no bearing on the status of wines from the top half of the vineyard, which are included among Meursault's best.

There are several prestigious Cote d'Or vineyards with the name Charmes, which often refers to the presence of hornbeam trees. This includes Chambolle-Musigny Les Charmes, Morey-Saint-Denis Aux Charmes and, most notable of all, the Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru.