Mercurey Rouge Vieilles Vignes 2018 13% 75cl

Made from a blend of old vine fruit from three Lieu dits: Les Montelons, at over 300m on beige marl brigs tightly packed fruit and freshness, le Clos Laurent, sheltered from the wind in the centre of the village brings earthiness and warm dark fruit, whilst Les Vaux, in a deep valley to the north of the village, at around 250m provides both density and bite. Yields are low, selection strict, and vinification is traditional, with 12-15 days in tank and regular punching down of the cap. The majority of the wine spends 12 months in barrel (around 20% new) with a small proportion remaining in tank in this vintage. A very pure expression of Mercurey Pinot: opulent and rich, with lovely balance of red and black fruit, a juicy, silky texture and generous sweet fruit to finish.

Domaine Theulot Juillot

Established by Émile Juillot in the early part of the 20^th century. Winemaking skipped a generation before Nathalie inherited the family estate from her Grandmother Marguerite in 1987, and she now manages 12 ha of red and white vines in the commune of Mercurey with the support of her husband Jean-Claude Theulot. Yields are kept low, vineyards are ploughed, with grassing over between rows, and no herbicides are used, and all harvesting is done manually. Selection is strict, and (as is the case with most growers in Mercurey where stems tend not to ripen fully) all fruit is fully destemmed.

Nathalie’s wines are superb, and Mercurey remains the source of some of the best-bang-for-your-buck wines in the Cote d’Or.