In the first part of this guide dedicated to the mysteries of the Côte Chalonnaise, we covered Rully, the birthplace of Crémant, and Bouzeron, the kingdom of Aligoté in detail. This time, we’re heading south to explore Mercurey, Givry and Montagny. An extensive itinerary lies ahead.
MERCUREY – THE LARGEST AOC IN THE CÔTE CHALONNAISE
With more than 640 hectares of vines, the Mercurey vineyard is the largest in terms of wine-producing area in the Côte Chalonnaise. Producing 90% of red wines from Pinot Noir and just 10% of whites from Chardonnay, it’s unsurprising that the village of Mercurey is renowned for its powerful, full-bodied reds, designed for long ageing. On top of that, the story behind its creation is quite remarkable, to say the least!
The commune of Mercurey sits between Rully to the north, Fontaines to the east and Saint-Martin-Sous-Montaigus to the south. During the second half of the 20th century, successive reparcelling operations significantly expanded the size of the vineyard.
In its historic heart, Mercurey offers a spectacular landscape of vines, where the finest plots of the vineyard area lie side by side. At its centre sits a cluster of fine premier crus facing south. They stand at the foot of a forest which provides ideal ripening conditions, limiting temperature variations. The most westerly premier cru plot, Les Croichots, produces long, precise whites offering a particularly elegant chalky texture, perfect for enjoying at the table. Following on eastwards is the Champs Martin, which is planted with Pinot and Chardonnay grapes. Among the best, it delivers full-bodied Mercureys, suitable for laying down, offering subtle notes of venison in red wines, and more tropical aromas in whites, with a full, well-balanced palate. You can taste them at the Paul & Marie Jacqueson or Michel Juillot estates. Further along Champs Martin, you’ll find Clos des Barraults, the epitome of the commune’s fine whites, even if it is also produced as a red. Intensely fragrant, it displays endless aromatic variations centred on tropical fruit and a chalky, rocky character. Long and ample on the palate, this beautifully balanced wine delivers an unusually rich expression of the commune’s fine whites.
To the south-east, in the commune of Saint-Martin-Sous-Montaigus, you’ll find some beautiful grape-growing areas. Let’s start with La Mission, a plot solely owned by the iconic Domaine de Chamirey, with the same stature as the finest whites of the Côte d’Or… At a much more affordable price. The clay-limestone soils interspersed with abundant white marl create a majestic sense of balance and fullness. Domaine de Chamirey is among the most successful in reconciling the natural power of the Mercurey terroir with the floral elegance and refined flavour of Pinot.
Mercurey still tends to be associated with hard, unappetising wines with rough tannins, and it must be said that there is some truth in this. The fact is that successive legal expansions of the commune led to some wines obtaining the Mercurey appellation, even though their expression differed greatly. That’s why you need to tread carefully when selecting these wines. That said, the power of Mercurey can, at the greatest domains, combine with a rare elegance which, like Nuits-Saint-Georges, produces wines for long-term ageing, which express notes of spice, venison and undergrowth unrivalled on the Côte after several decades in the cellar. With age, Mercureys lose their rusticity and prove to be excellent companions for game dishes. A superb wine at an affordable price to cellar for birthdays!
Next, let’s head south to Givry.
GIVRY – THE VOLNAY OF THE CÔTE CHALONNAISE
With almost 4,000 inhabitants, this is the most densely populated village in the Côte-Chalonnaise region, lying between the communes of Saint-Désert to the south, Jambles to the south-west, Mellecey to the north-west and Dracy-le-Fort to the north. The Givry area stretches across the communes of Jambles and Dracy-le-Fort, and its reputation continues to leave its mark on winemaking history. Givry was first highly regarded by the papal court in Avignon, before being greatly admired by King Henry IV and it is said that it was his favourite wine, as evidenced by a large gateway in the centre of the village. This legend, with no historical foundation, was in fact coined by Courtépée, a historian of the Burgundy wine region, in 1770. It was also around this time, and according to the same author, that Givry was considered to be the Volnay of the Côte Chalonnaise. This medieval town, dotted with châteaux, soon became the stronghold of Chalonnaise wine, attracting wine merchants such as Millard, who commissioned the construction of large cellars.
While the influence of history helped establish Givry as one of Burgundy’s winegrowing icons, the importance of the vegetal material, which remains of the highest quality, should not be downplayed. Nor should the influence of several producers such as François Lumpp, Domaine Joblot, Domaine de la Ferté (Devillard family), who all contributed to Givry’s renown.
Givry wines quite possibly offer the fruitiest and most balanced expressions of the Côte Chalonnaise. On the palate, some areas display an unrivalled silky texture. And for good reason as the subsoil is said to bear a strong resemblance to that of Chambolle-Musigny, which may account for this finesse.
Located in the commune of Dracy-Le-Fort, Clos Jus is arguably the finest cru in the whole of Givry. The red soil, rich in iron oxide, creates a dense, full-bodied wine offering the elegance and finesse typical of the finest terroirs in the Côte d’Or. This revival is largely due to the outstanding Domaine François Lumpp, which consistently produces wines that stand the test of time and offer a level of pleasure that is hard to match at the table. These wines are of the highest quality and among the most sought-after from the village.
The cru Creusot, in the south-east of the village of Jambles, produces Chardonnays that are often fuller with tropical accents. It’s not difficult for the grapes to reach optimal ripeness here, allowing them to deliver a light sweetness with elegance. Near the hamlet of Rusilly, not far from Givry and behind the woods, you’ll find the confidential vineyard Les Galaffres. Often planted with Chardonnay, it produces a clean, fine, slender wine with surprising hints of menthol and interesting length.
At the middle of a slope in Givry, a strip of land running from the Cellier aux Moines to the Clos Salomon constitutes the most accomplished and qualitative part of the appellation. Here, the wines exude unrivalled silkiness and intense red fruit aromas. To the south, Petit Marole and Grand Marole, complantations of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, offer excellent wines that are accessible young but also designed for long ageing. Let’s round off this superb tour of the vineyards with Clos Salomon, a seven-hectare plot that has been entirely owned by the Du Gardin family since 1632. This very steep walled vineyard with chalky soil, produces dense, elegant wines bursting with cherry aromas.
Last but not least, to conclude this wonderful tour of Givry, let’s mention its central climat: A Vigne Rouge. This climat has been shared by Domaine François Lumpp and Domaine des Moirots in Bissey-Sous-Cruchaud since the 2012 vintage. Comparing the production of this Givry plot by these two leading domains is an extremely interesting exercise. Domaine des Moirots, run by Christophe Denizot, produces a silky wine, with a lovely mineral acidity and aromas of gingerbread, leading this wine to easily be placed alongside Chambolle-Musigny in a blind tasting. Domaine François Lumpp produces a wine with more body and greater aromatic finesse and precision, along with the same heady Côte de Nuits bouquet that puts this climat among the best in the appellation.
Let’s conclude our stroll by travelling even further south to explore the Montagny terroir.
MONTAGNY – AN APPELLATION OF FRESH AND LIVELY WINES
Montagny ranks as an exception in Burgundy’s recent winegrowing history. This appellation was born of an alliance of winegrowers who established a cooperative, the Cave de Buxy, in the mid-1930s. Nowadays, the cooperative manages around 60% of the Montagny AOC, which just goes to show how influential it is. This kind of social production structure is rare in Burgundy, except in the Haute-Côtes and the Nuiton-Beaunoy winery. Stretching over the four villages of Saint-Vallerin, Jully-Lès-Buxy, Buxy and Montagny, the Montagny AOC offers a range of Chardonnay wines. Wines produced in the Buxy area are shaped by Kimmeridgian limestone, the type of soil typically found in Chablis, and their tautness echoes that of wines from the north of Chablis. The plot located in the centre of Montagny, in Les Coères, is home to Domaine Aladame, which delivers a superb, lively wine, wisely matured with freshness counterbalanced by great tautness, more similar to the wines of the Côte de Beaune.
The only exception to Montagny in Buxy is the excellent climat Le Vieux Château, produced by Domaine des Moirots under the watchful eye of Laurent Cognard. Here, he produces one of the most accomplished wines of the Côte Chalonnaise. This wine offers a delightful floral bouquet, with hints of ripeness provided by honey, and freshness courtesy of a certain rocky quality. On the palate, the extremely elegant, round initial drop is prolonged by a lively, fresh mid-palate leading to a thirst-quenching finish unlike any other in the commune.
The style of Montagny wines resembles that of Chablis in places. This is due not only to the Kimmeridgian subsoil, but also to the way they are aged, mainly in concrete or stainless steel vats, which add freshness and tautness.
We can’t recommend the excellent Domaine Aladame and the confidential Domaine des Moirots enough. With the former crafting wines in the Beaune style, and the latter focusing on polished elegance, you’ll definitely want to try these outstanding Montagny wines!
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