Domaine Lorenzon : Mercurey 1er Cru "Carline Clos des Champs Martin" 2023

Characteristics and Tasting Notes for the Mercurey 1er Cru "Carline Clos des Champs Martin" 2023 Domaine Lorenzon

Tasting

Colour
A deep violet-red hue, enhanced by delicate garnet reflections.

Nose
Wonderfully pure, the bouquet opens with intense aromas of black fruits such as black cherry, blackberry and blackcurrant, accompanied by raspberry. With aeration, it reveals a lovely complexity, showing notes of cocoa powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom and a subtle touch of orange peel.

Palate
The texture proves silky and velvety, supported by tannins of great finesse and perfectly integrated. The mid-palate unfolds concentrated flavours of plum and black cherry, balanced by a mineral and saline tension. The finish, of exceptional persistence, lingers on notes of red fruits, leather, graphite and dried herbs.

Food and Wine Pairing

This wine pairs beautifully with red meats such as aged beef or game, as well as with roasted poultry like Bresse pigeon. It will also enhance dishes accompanied by mushroom sauces, such as a morel reduction, or contemporary preparations featuring sweet spices and root vegetables.

Service and Storage

Endowed with remarkable ageing potential, this Mercurey 1er Cru "Carline Clos des Champs Martin" 2023 can be enjoyed in its youth for its vibrant fruit, but will continue to evolve favourably, remaining ready to drink until around 2045.

The Precision and Elegance of a Great Mercurey Wine

The Estate

The story of Domaine Lorenzon began in the early 1900s with the arrival in Burgundy of a winegrower originally from Veneto. Over the decades, the family patiently built up a vineyard on the region's finest terroirs. Since 1997, Bruno Lorenzon, representing the third generation, has been at the helm of the estate. With extensive international experience and keen expertise in cooperage, he has instilled a demanding philosophy marked by precision viticulture, exceptional planting densities and immense manual labour, elevating the estate among the leading names of the Côte Chalonnaise.

The Vineyard

Located within the Mercurey appellation, the historic Clos des Champs Martin plot rests on soils of limestone marl and clay dotted with small pebbles, benefiting from a south-west, amphitheatre-shaped exposure. The cuvée comes from a micro-selection of 0.6 hectares of ungrafted Pinot Noir vines over seventy years old. The vineyard stands out for its very high planting density, reaching 14,000 vines per hectare, with trellising rising to nearly 1.80 metres. No herbicides have been used for several decades, with the soils worked mechanically to preserve their vitality.

The Vintage

The year 2023 began with favourable flowering in June, followed by a cool summer period in July and August. A radical shift occurred from 20 August onwards, with temperatures exceeding 35 degrees, accelerating berry ripening. A storm at the end of August brought beneficial moisture, leading to a swift and targeted harvest starting in the first week of September to preserve the balance of the fruit.

Winemaking and Aging

The grapes for the Mercurey 1er Cru "Carline Clos des Champs Martin" 2023 are hand-harvested into small six-kilo wooden crates, followed by refrigerated transport. Fermentation takes place with indigenous yeasts, incorporating 75% whole clusters and gentle manual punching-down. Ageing takes place over approximately 19 months in oak barrels (40% new) custom-made by the winemaker himself, followed by a final five-month refinement in stainless steel tanks.

Grape Variety

100% Pinot Noir