Mercurey 1er Cru Le Clos du Roy 2019 - Faiveley

Mercurey 1er Cru Le Clos du Roy 2019 - Faiveley

93/100 Parker

Cellaring potential: 2025 - 2045

By William Kelley in 2021: "Aromas of plums, spice, incense and earth tones, framed by a touch of toasty new oak, introduce the medium- to full-bodied, layered and velvety, fleshy and concentrated Mercurey 1er Cru Clos du Roy 2019, with fine, powdery tannins and lively acids. It is an enveloping, gourmet wine from a 2.6 hectare parcel."

THE VINTAGE

2019 is a fresh and balanced vintage. Volumes are low but the quality is exceptional. Characterised by extreme weather and healthy, fragrant grapes, 2019 was marked by low rainfall (-50% compared to normal), several frost episodes in April/May and a summer heatwave. The harvest began on Monday 9 September in the Côte Chalonnaise and ended on 21 September in the Côte de Nuits.

CHARACTERISTIC OF THE APPELLATION

"La Favorite" is a plot selection of Mercurey 1er Cru "Le Clos du Roy" from vines located on the south-east facing slope. From the 2009 vintage, we have harvested, vinified and matured this wine separately in order to produce a Cru of excellence in the Côte Chalonnaise. Why "La Favorite"? When King Henri IV came to lay siege to Château de Montaigu in Mercurey, he was accompanied by his Favorite, Gabrielle d'Estrée. While the royal troops were laying siege to the walls, the king visited Givry, whose wine he enjoyed. A fine palate, Gabrielle d'Estrée, preferred Mercurey...

Exposure: South, South-West

Soil: Clayey-limestone - white marls

Grape Variety : Pinot Noir

Characteristics of our plot

Area: 0.3852 ha (0.952 Acres)

Year of planting: 1982

VINIFICATION & MATURING

The grapes are cut and sorted by hand. The proportions of the destemming and the whole harvest vary according to each vintage. Two daily pigeages are carried out to extract from the skins of the grapes their colour, tannins and aromas. After 15 to 19 days of vatting, the alcoholic fermentation is completed. The free-run wine is run off by gravity, while a slow and gentle pressing of the marc produces a press wine of great purity. For 15 months, we mature our wines in French oak barrels (30% of which are new) selected for the finesse of their grain and their moderate toasting in our cellars at natural and constant humidity and temperature.

TASTING

This wine has a beautiful deep ruby colour. On the nose, the scents of small black berries blend pleasantly with spicy aromas and a delicate woodiness. Full and concentrated on the palate, this wine has a very good balance. Its aromatic richness combines marvellously with its tannins to make a wine of remarkable length, corpulent and greedy.

Serve with: Fillet of beef with Epoisses, lamb chops

Temperature: 14°C to 16°C

Custody potential: 7 to 10 years

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