Mercurey

Mercurey is an appellation too easily passed by: when I visited Burgundy earlier this year, we drove straight from Santenay, the Côte d'Or's most southerly appellation, to Beaujolais, missing out on Mercurey and the other Chalonnaise and Mâconnais winemaking areas. At the time, I regretted not being able to explore these overlooked areas, but that's the way it goes sometimes. However, even passing through I was able to appreciate the green, pastoral countryside of the Chalonnaise, quite different from the wide, stony land of the Côte d'Or. In the Chalonnaise, there is less of an emphasis on winemaking than in the Côte d'Or: there are cows, sheep, trees, and grass, the vineyards spread out between villages and farmsteads.

It's also far less celebrated than the Côte d'Or, meaning its wines do not fetch the high prices of its famous neighbour. The wines attract less attention and fervour, but still retain the high quality expected of Burgundy. All this means great wine can be had for affordable prices, not always the case in Burgundy.

history

The Chalonnaise is to the west of the river port of Chalon-sur-Saône, a town whose importance dates back to Roman times. The name of Mercurey itself gives away the area's Roman roots: it's called after the Roman temple built there to Mercury, the god of commerce and thievery. The Saône is a large, historic trading river that winds its way through southern Burgundy and Beaujolais down to Lyon, where it connects with the Rhône. As ever, wine and trade are historically connected. The wines were highly valued by the Dukes of Burgundy - Philip the Bold called them "the best and most precious" wines in 1395 - but their relative distance from the centres of Beaune and Dijon kept them away from a proper appreciation of their quality, a situation which still exists today.

Côte Chalonnaise

The Chalonnaise winemaking region is just 25km long and 5km wide, a narrow stretch of land whose vineyards are scattered between farmers' fields. Its wines constitute 16% of Burgundy's total production. There are five villages which have their own appellations: Bouzeron (Burgundy's only senior appellation for the Aligoté grape), Rully (known for its sparkling wine under the Crémant de Bourgogne appellation), Mercurey, Givry, and Montagny, which produces the best white wine in the region. Although Chalonnaise is a continuation of the Côte d'Or, it has a variety of soils creating a real diversity of styles of wines around the region.

Mercurey

the vineyards of Mercurey, with wines tasted highlighted

The variety of soils is most realised in Mercurey, a small village to the north of the Chalonnaise. Vineyards face north/north-east, while others face south/south-west. Altitude is as important as aspect, as Mercurey is in a valley with styles of wines changing according to the vineyard's position in the valley. There are five different types of marl soils and another fifteen of limestone, changing from pebbly, stony, and shallow limestone to deep soils near the river without any limestone. It's a large appellation, which accounts in part for its diversity (only Chablis and Pouilly-Fuissé are bigger). 3.5m bottles are produced a year, 15% of which are white and the rest red. There are 32 Premiers Crus vineyards, covering 168ha (27% of the area); no Grands Crus, and no plans for any - Mercurey needs to get its wines better known around the world, rather than enter the painful world of French wine bureaucracy.

I attended a tasting of six Mercurey wines, one white and five red, which was interesting proof of the village's diversity, quality, and value. The wines were surprisingly fruit forward for Burgundy, meaning that they are likely to appeal to a wide range of consumers, but did not lack for complexity. The diversity may make it difficult to explain Mercurey to consumers, but the wines can be summed up in two words: fruits and acidity.

Mercurey wines

Maison Louis Max Les Rochelles 2013

From a co-operative producer, this was the one white we tasted, and it was a classy example of a Burgundy Chardonnay. A smoky nose at first, with fresh, ripe fruit aromas of pears, nectarines, and apricots. There was a dry, stony, flinty aspect to the palate, which is apparently characteristic of Mercurey, giving the wine a very nice texture, followed up with a crisp pear finish and white pepper spices. As with the reds, the acidity was high and refreshing, lightening the smoky, oak nature. ✪✪✪✪✪

Domaine de l'Europe Les Closeaux 2013 (c.$30)

The only village Mercurey we tasted, and the most fruit forward and immediate. The nose was very fruity and Pinot Noir, with raspberries and red cherries. The tannins were lightly grainy, with refreshing acidity. A simple, straightforward, if very pleasant wine: I was surprised to learn that the wine retails for a rather pricey $30 when one of the virtues of Mercurey's wines is its value. ✪✪✪✪

Domaine Nathalie & Jean-Claude Theulot Les Champs Martin Premier Cru 2013 ($37)

A darker colour and a much more complex nose, with restrained red and black fruit aromas of strawberries and blackberries. Taking time to open up, there were also subtle aromas of orange pith, paprika, and liquorice, as well as smoke and oak. On the palate, there was a refreshing acidity; the fruits were ripe and intense, with more liquorice and paprika aromas, while the tannins were firm and structured. An exceptional wine: and at $37 for a Premier Cru it reaffirmed my belief in the value of Mercurey. ✪✪✪✪✪

Domaine François Raquillet Les Vasées Premier Cru 2013

The reds we tasted moved further south around the appellation with each wine. The soils change, as does the elevation, and the difference between the wines was noticeable. This was much fruitier, ripe and rich, with vanilla and coffee beans also marking the wine out. A very open wine, with soft, unaggressive, but structured tannins. The vines are fifty-five years old, definitely adding a fruity concentration to the wine. ✪✪✪✪✪

Château de Chamirey Les Clos du Roi Premier Cru 2012

The use of oak varied in the reds: for me, 25-30% new oak seems optimum. This had 40% new oak, and it was too much, giving the wine a toasty, oaky character, augmented by clove aromas. Intense and tannic, the much-needed acidity lifted the wine out of its oaky heaviness. ✪✪✪✪

Domaine de Suremain En Sazenay Premier Cru 2012

Perhaps my favourite of the tasting and, in contrast to the previous wine, aged in just 10% new oak. However, the nose was quite closed and needed some thought to appreciate it. The palate really expressed the quality of the wine: the acidity was so lively and uplifting, indicating that it will last many more years, the tannins were ripe giving the wine a fruit quality that wasn't initially apparent on the nose, and the oak was balanced and integrated. ✪✪✪✪✪