Château de Chamirey : Mercurey 1er cru "Clos des Ruelles" Monopole 2021

Characteristics and tasting advice for the Mercurey 1er cru "Clos des Ruelles" Monopole 2021 from Château de Chamirey

Tasting

Appearance

The wine displays a deep ruby-red hue with bright highlights.

Nose

Generous and intense, the nose opens with aromas of ripe red fruits, notably black cherry and griottine, along with notes of raspberry and blackcurrant. With aeration, spicy, licorice-like nuances emerge, enhanced by subtle floral, peppery and vanilla touches.

Palate

Full-bodied and silky, the palate charms with its generous texture and finely integrated tannins. Flavors of dark fruits, blackberry and blackcurrant mingle with earthy, bramble and menthol notes. The powerful, lingering finish reveals a lovely mineral, saline freshness that marks the imprint of the limestone terroir.

Food and wine pairings

This Mercurey 1er cru "Clos des Ruelles" Monopole 2021 is an ideal match for poultry in cream and mushroom sauces, grilled or sauced red meats, as well as slow-cooked dishes such as braised beef. It also pairs very well with soft-ripened cheeses such as Camembert or more aged cheeses like Comté and Morbier.

Serving and cellaring

This Mercurey 1er cru "Clos des Ruelles" Monopole 2021 is ideally enjoyed at a temperature of 13 to 14°C. It can be enjoyed now but will continue to evolve until around 2041.

A Burgundian monopole combining elegance and minerality in Côte Chalonnaise

The estate

Founded in 1932, Château de Chamirey is the largest estate in Mercurey, in the heart of the Côte Chalonnaise in Burgundy. Owned by the Devillard family, it is now run by Amaury and Aurore Devillard, together with their father Bertrand. The vineyard spans 37 hectares (27 ha of Pinot Noir, 10 ha of Chardonnay), including 15 ha of Premiers Crus, among them two rare monopoles: "Les Ruelles" and "La Mission". A pioneer of estate bottling as early as 1934, it also stands out for its wine tourism program developed since 2011.

The vineyard

Clos des Ruelles is a 2.5-hectare monopole located in the hamlet of Saint-Martin-sous-Montaigu, within the Mercurey appellation. This Premier Cru benefits from a south to south-southeast exposure on a very stony clay-limestone soil, characterized by a brick-red color due to its iron oxide concentration. The vineyard comprises two distinct plots: old vines planted in 1954 and others dating from the 1980s, each contributing its complexity to the final wine.

The vintage

The 2021 vintage in Burgundy was marked by challenging weather conditions, notably a severe spring frost that significantly reduced yields. Despite these challenges, the surviving grapes benefited from favorable summer conditions, allowing for optimal ripening. This vintage stands out for its freshness, elegance and remarkable transparency of terroir, with wines expressing lively acidity and delicate aromatic profiles.

Winemaking and aging

The harvest is carried out by hand with rigorous grape sorting. After complete destemming, the grapes undergo a cold pre-fermentation maceration for 4 to 6 days at 10°C. Alcoholic fermentation then takes place at a controlled temperature, reaching 31°C, with regular punch-downs to optimize extraction. A post-fermentation maceration extends skin contact. The Mercurey 1er cru "Clos des Ruelles" Monopole 2021 is then aged for 15 months in 228-liter French oak barrels, 25% of which are new, followed by 3 months in stainless-steel tanks before the final blending.

Grape variety

100% Pinot Noir.