The 2021 vintage will be remembered for heavy late frosts in early April, which hit vines already out because a mild winter had brought early budbreak.
Flowering went well, but poor weather from July to mid-August meant heavy work in the vineyard. Fortunately veraison arrived in mid-August under sunshine, letting the grapes build sugar while holding fairly firm acidity right up to harvest.
With ripeness and health needing close watching, picking began in mid-September. Sorting at harvest and careful winemaking allowed 2021 to give delicate wines that are already enjoyable.
The whites have fine depth and lingering flavour, over elegant oak.
The reds are for early drinking, with fine-grained tannins, elegant, balanced wines.
A new wine: Mercurey Premier Cru Clos Paradis joins the estate’s red crus. It has great energy and suppleness, plenty of fruit, wrapped in very silky tannins. A wine for medium-term keeping.
The vintage 2021
1er cruMercurey white
This cuvée gives a broader wine on the palate, opening quickly with floral notes. Supple yet fleshy, never heavy. Ample and rich, easy to drink, holding a fine balance between acidity and structure.
Chardonnay
Cellaring4 to 7 years
1er cruMercurey red
A wine for keeping, poised between power and structure, with very silky tannins and a mineral finish bringing freshness. It refines gradually towards a smoother texture after a few years, the most complete of the estate’s Premiers Crus.
Pinot noir
Cellaring5 to 10 years
Mercurey white
This parcel yields a precise, straight, thoroughbred and mineral wine. The aromas favour finesse over exuberance, evolving over time towards dried fruit, citrus, white flowers and acacia. The palate is taut and linear, then lingers and opens with time.
Chardonnay
CellaringUp to 7 years
Mercurey white
This cuvée is made to be drunk young and fruit-forward, showing all the finesse of Chardonnay. Tension, ageing and minerality align, with praline flavours underlined by delicate oak.
Chardonnay
CellaringUp to 3 years
1er cruMercurey red
A wine of great energy and suppleness, richly fruited, wrapped in very silky tannins. A rich nose of black fruit, spice and a liquorice note. The palate is concentrated and generous, juicy fruit balanced by salinity. Medium-term keeping.
Pinot noir
Cellaring4 to 7 years
Mercurey red
Although made from old vines, this is a supple, generous wine with fresh fruit aromas and a smooth, silky texture. It opens up from its first year, the ageing kept light to preserve elegance. A wine of pure pleasure, enjoyable young.
Pinot noir
Cellaring4 to 6 years
1er cruMercurey red
The southern exposure brings black fruit aromas to this Premier Cru, powerful yet round and fleshy. A sun-filled, generous wine, broad on the palate, with a fine texture that asks only to evolve slowly.
Pinot noir
Cellaring5 to 10 years
1er cruMercurey red
The fruitiest and most supple of the estate’s Premiers Crus. A distinctly Pinot nose, a savoury, round palate with fine texture. Sappy and complete, with generous black fruit.
Pinot noir
Cellaring5 to 8 years
Mercurey red
A generous, fruit-driven wine that reveals itself early. From a 60-year-old east-facing parcel on clay-limestone soils, it plays on depth and power.
Pinot noir
Cellaring2 to 5 years
The critics
Guide Bettane & Desseauve
« His passion for the craft drives him to take the estate to its very best. The range runs to four whites and six reds, and there is always one of the house’s wines among the leaders in our blind tastings. An address you cannot miss. »
Le Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France
« Giving us wines of exemplary quality and unfailing consistency »
Bourgogne Aujourd’hui
Choosing a vintage
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The estate
19 rue de Jamproyes, Mercurey