The Javilliers have been involved in the wine business for generations as courtiers. When Patrick started out in 1974 this was the main source of his income, alongside which he worked three hectares of vineyards. In 1990 he was able to give up being a courtier as the domaine was by then large enough and well enough established. There are some red vineyards through his wife’s family, but the core of the domaine is white.

2018 was Patrick’s last vintage before retirement. His daughter Marion had already been making the red wines since 2009 and now his son-in-law, Pierre-Emmanuel (married to another daughter), has taken over the whites.

Most of the wines are taken out of barrel after a year, then matured further in tank on their fine lees. The Corton-Charlemagne spends a second winter in wood. Interestingly, the top wines such as the Corton-Charlemagne are fermented and matured entirely in one-year-old wood, with new barrels used (25-30 per cent) for the Meursault and Bourgogne vineyards on the lower slopes with more clay and less active limestone in the soil.

There has been no revolution in style there but a few changes nonetheless. The vaslin press which served up to and including the 2009 harvest has been replaced by a pneumatic press – in sole use since 2012 – with more lees retained, and some stirring. The experiment with DIAM closures in place of corks has been abandoned.

The most interesting wine here is often the Meursault “Tête de Murger”. This cuvée is a blend of two complementary vineyards, Les Murgers de Monthélie and Casses Têtes, to make the richest and longest-lived of Javillier Meursaults. (Similarly Les Clousots is a blend of Les Clous with a little bit of Crotots added)