Château de Chamirey : Mercurey 1er cru "Champs-Martin" 2021

Tasting characteristics and advice for the Mercurey 1er cru "Champs-Martin" 2021 from Château de Chamirey

Tasting

Color

This wine reveals a bright ruby-red color, enhanced by subtle violet highlights that reflect its youth.

Nose

The bouquet shows a lovely aromatic generosity dominated by fresh red fruits, notably cherry, redcurrant and raspberry. Delicate floral notes accompany these fruity aromas, while subtle spicy touches of licorice and pepper add an extra dimension to the overall profile.

Palate

On the palate, this Premier Cru charms with its elegance and silky texture. The tannins are fine and delicate, offering a crisp structure that is particularly refreshing. The saline minerality, the signature of the limestone terroir, gradually unfolds through the mid-palate and carries through to a persistent finish with peppery and licorice notes.

Food and wine pairings

This Mercurey 1er cru "Champs-Martin" 2021 pairs perfectly with roast beef. It also goes beautifully with grilled red meats, lamb, refined poultry dishes, as well as mushroom-based preparations.

Serving and cellaring

The Mercurey 1er cru "Champs-Martin" 2021 can be enjoyed now for its vibrant fruit, but it also has cellaring potential until around 2041, allowing the wine to develop greater complexity.

A Mercurey Premier Cru combining finesse and Burgundian minerality

The estate

Founded in the 1930s in Mercurey, in the heart of the Côte Chalonnaise in Bourgogne, Château de Chamirey is today the largest estate in the appellation, with 37 hectares of vineyards, including 15 hectares classified as premiers crus. The estate has two remarkable monopoles: "Les Ruelles" in red and "La Mission" in white. Family-owned by the Devillard family for five generations, the estate is currently run by Amaury and Aurore Devillard, supported by their father Bertrand. A pioneer of estate bottling from its inception, the château practices sustainable viticulture with predominantly hand-harvested grapes and has been developing wine tourism since 2011.

The vineyard

The climat "Champs-Martin" covers just 0.49 hectare within the Mercurey appellation. Planted in 2002, this parcel benefits from a due-south exposure on gently sloping land, promoting optimal sunshine and natural drainage. The soils are made up of clay with a high limestone content, crossed through the center by a significant limestone vein that gives the wine its characteristic minerality and structural precision.

The vintage

The 2021 vintage in Bourgogne offered favorable conditions, allowing optimal phenolic ripeness to be reached. The moderate alcohol level of 14% reflects a successful balance between fruit concentration and the preservation of freshness, characteristic of successful vintages in this northerly region.

Vinification and aging

The grapes for the Mercurey 1er cru "Champs-Martin" 2021 are hand-harvested and then carefully sorted. A partial destemming of 40% is carried out, keeping 60% whole clusters to bring structure and complexity. A cold pre-fermentation maceration for four to six days at 10°C extracts aromas while preserving freshness. Fermentation starts naturally at 24°C and gradually rises to 31°C. Regular punch-downs ensure the extraction of phenolic compounds, followed by a post-fermentation maceration to refine the tannins. Aging takes place over 14 months in oak barrels, with only 15% new oak, thus preserving the expression of the terroir. The wine then benefits from an additional three months in stainless-steel tanks to perfect its balance before bottling.

Grape variety

100% pinot noir.