MERCUREY > BOUCHARD Ainé & Fils

MERCUREY 2021

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2022 2023

Varietal

100% Pinot Noir.

Tasting notes

Visual: Intense ruby red.
Bouquet: Red fruits flavours with toasted, grilled notes.
Palate: In the mouth, tannins are supple and silky with good structure and robustness. A well-balanced wine with elegant fruity and spicy scents.

Food and wine pairing

This wine will be ideal with roasted or grilled meats, light game in sauce and most cheeses.

Serving suggestions

Ideally served at a temperature of around 15 to 16°C / 60°F.

Ageing potential

A nice red Burgundy to drink now or keep for 5 to 8 years in the cellar.

Origins

Mercurey is a local appellation in the north of the Côte Chalonnaise. It comprises 32 Climats classified as Premiers Crus and covers 650 hectares, including 545 hectares of reds (165 hectares of 1er Crus).

The cradle of Burgundy winegrowing, Mercurey is one of the oldest terroirs and has always enjoyed an excellent reputation. The village owes its name to the Romans who, during their occupation of the region, built a temple to Mercury, the god of commerce and finance.

The vineyards are located between 230 and 320 metres above sea level. They grow on the marl and marl-limestone soils of the Oxfordian. To the east, limestone and marl. To the west, a Jurassic structure and a crystalline base covered with sandstone. A whole section of the vineyard belongs to the Bathonian. On these white and chalky soils, or red and clayey, the vines find a warm affinity.

Vinification and maturing

The Pinot Noir grapes are handpicked, sorted at the arrival at the winery and 100% destemmed before 18 to 20 days of maceration and fermentation in wooden vats under controlled temperatures and with punching twice a day according to the Burgundian tradition. The malolactic fermentation is 100% achieved and followed by maturing and ageing in oak barrels (including 20%) for around 12 months.

Vintage : 2021

The 2021 vintage was a challenge for winegrowers right up until the very last day. From the frost in April, made worse by a very early start to the winegrowing season, right through to the September harvest, it was characterized by some brutal shifts in the weather. Winegrowers had to be extremely reactive and attentive. The only moment of respite came with flowering, which was ideal for fruit formation, and véraison, which was accompanied by sunshine from mid-August. In the end, hard work was rewarded with success, low volumes aside.

Aside from the low yields due to frost, and hail in June in certain parts of the Mâconnais, the grapes were sorted meticulously, both in the vines and in the winery.

Anyway, 2021 is an interesting vintage to work as it requires great technical skill and vinification must be very precise. Although fermentation was rapid, one had to pay a great deal of attention to the extraction of tannins and colour for the reds, and to the aromatic balance of the whites. The impression from the first tastings is that the musts have good aromatic potential and the sugar-acidity ratio suggests a style appreciated by fans of Bourgogne wines.