Why visit
Meursault is a white wine village in Burgundy, and its main draw for visitors is the cellar of Château de Meursault. The château sits on the Route des Grands Crus, 8 km south of Beaune, so it fits into a day spent following that road.
The estate is a walled property of 8 hectares with 3,500 m2 of cellars. The cellars date from the 12th, 14th and 16th centuries, so the visit takes you through cellars built across several centuries.
The château's vineyard covers 110 plots, from the Corton hill to Puligny-Montrachet.
A second stop is Le Caveau de Meursault (Moillard), a cellar and discovery space that opened in early 2018 at the edge of the village. It has a shop and is open Monday to Saturday.
Visiting the estates
Visits at Château de Meursault are by booking. The "Grands Terroirs" visit is a cellar tour followed by a tasting of 7 wines. It lasts about 1 hour 30 minutes and takes up to 12 people per tour, in French or English.
Le Caveau de Meursault is open Monday to Saturday. Ask the estate about tasting prices and booking rules before you plan around it.
Estates in Meursault: visit type and tasting fee| Estate | Visits | Tasting from |
|---|
| Château de Meursault | Booking, cellar tour of about 1h30 for up to 12 people, in French or English | €59 ($64) |
|---|
| Le Caveau de Meursault (Moillard) | Cellar and discovery space, open Monday–Saturday | — |
|---|
The village tourist office, part of the BIT of Beaune & Pays Beaunois, runs guided tours of the village, the estates and the vineyard. They leave at 10 a.m. from the square, and booking is recommended on 03 80 21 25 90.
During the Hospices de Beaune wine auction weekend in November, Château de Meursault runs special tastings by reservation. The 7-wine tasting costs about €55–59 ($59–64), and a 10-wine tasting costs €99 ($107).
When to go
The main season runs from April to October. From May to September, Château de Meursault is open daily from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
From October to April, the château opens daily from 10 a.m. to noon and from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Plan around that midday break if you arrive in spring or autumn.
From mid-November to March, the château closes on Sunday afternoons, Mondays and Tuesdays. Winter visits need planning around those closures.
Le Caveau de Meursault is open Monday to Saturday. Its hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. from April to October, and 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. from November to March.
The Hospices de Beaune auction weekend in November brings the special tastings noted above, and those are by reservation.
Before you go
- Château de Meursault tastings start by reservation only and groups are small, with a maximum of 12 people per tour, so book ahead.
- From mid-November to March the château closes on Sunday afternoons, Mondays and Tuesdays, so winter visits need planning.
- Meursault station is 2 km from the village and Paris trains do not serve it directly, so plan the connection via Beaune or Dijon.
Meursault station is on the TER line between Dijon and Mâcon, and Beaune station, about 8 km away, has the mainline services. TER tickets are sold at the Meursault tourist office, 9 place de l'Hôtel de Ville.
If you fly in, Lyon-Saint Exupéry airport is 180 km from Meursault, about 1 hour 40 minutes by road. Geneva airport is 243 km away, about 2 hours 15 minutes by road.
If you are driving, spit at tastings and arrange a designated driver for a day on the Route des Grands Crus.
