MERCUREY 2020
Grape Variety
100% Pinot Noir.
Tasting notes
Colour: Deep garnet red colour.
Nose: An intense bouquet of ripe red fruits enhanced by an elegant oak note.
Palate: The mouth is powerful and rich. Lots of fruit and intensity in this Mercurey. Beautiful aromatic length.
Food and wine pairing
Will be the perfect companion to roasted or grilled meats, light game in sauce and most cheeses.
Serving suggestions
Serve at around 16°C (61°F).
Ageing potential
4 to 5 years.
Origin
In 1923, the civil court of Chalon-sur-Saône instituted, by judgment, the appellation d’origine mercurey, allowing it to become one of the three oldest appellations of Burgundy.
In the Côte Chalonnaise, Mercurey has always enjoyed an excellent reputation.
This communal appellation includes 32 Climats classified as Premiers Crus. Located to the north of the Côte Chalonnaise, more than 90% of the wine produced under the Mercurey name is red. A total of 543 hectares, of which 148 are Premiers Crus. As for the white wines, they represent 106 hectares, including 18 classified as Premiers Crus.
The village of Mercurey owes its name to the Romans who, during the occupation of the region, built a temple in homage to Mercury, God of commerce and finance.
The vineyard estate extends now over 21 hectares and offers 3 upper quality wines from the appellation of Mercurey. White wines: Mercurey (3 ha), red wines: Mercurey (7.50 ha) and Mercurey 1er Cru En Sazenay (1.75 ha).
Terroir
- Vineyard area : 7,50 ha
- Vines age : 30 ans
- Soil : sol argilo-calcaire
Vinification and maturing
Harvest of our Mercurey Pinot Noir took place between the 27 of august and 1st of September.
Grapes were handpicked and carefully sorted, then carried in 16kg boxes to protect them from crush and compaction.
Maceration lasted about 14 to 18 days in order to get wines with a deep color, complex aromas and as a consequence a good ageing potential.
Traditional vinification was then carried out in temperature-controlled concrete vats - to master the fermentation temperatures thanks to the great inertia of concrete - with regular stirring and pumpings-over. Alternating those two methods is a good way to obtain balanced wines because the tannins are not too much extracted.
Then, the wine was aged for 9 months in oak barrels with 20% new oak.
Vintage : 2020
"Never in my entire wine career have I seen such variations in the grapes than in the 2020 harvests" said our winemaker Anne-Laure Hernette.
It was an early vintage, with another very mild winter and therefore an early start to the growth cycle.
A rainy, cool May did not slow the vines down, and temperatures quickly rose again. The summer was one of the hottest we have experienced.
The vines reacted in very different ways depending on the sector and it was necessary to monitor the grapes’ phenolic maturity right up to the harvests, since in some cases the berries suffered significant water stress, resulting in delays in ripening and lower yields.
On the whole, the vines in Rully, Mercurey and Maranges held up well because several of our terroirs benefit from subterranean water sources which partially alleviated the stress.
But the fact remains that the expression of aromatic, phenolic and technological maturity was very different from previous years and the evolution of each parameter had to be closely monitored. Once again, the choice of harvest date was decisive in ensuring the quality of the future wines. Especially since there were sometimes significant differences in ripeness within the same plot.
Harvesting began on 24 August and ended on 16 September. Some sectors required patience: it was important not to harvest too quickly. The grapes were in an excellent state of health, but thorough sorting was necessary to separate berries that were still pink and yet side by side with ripe grapes.
Ultimately, yields were particularly reduced for the reds.
The character of the 2020 vintage will gradually be revealed as it undergoes barrel-ageing, but we can already appreciate it for its balance, promising colours, concentration and generous aromatic expression.
