Mercurey

Styles

Principal grape varieties

Accessory grape varieties

Terroir

• The Mercurey geographical area lies on the "Côte chalonnaise", a north–south-oriented limestone ridge that forms the boundary between the western foothills of the granitic massif of Mont-Saint-Vincent and the Saône plain to the east.
• The alternation of hard limestones and more erosion-prone marls creates wooded ridges separating "combes" (dry valleys) with marly soils planted with vines.
• On the crests to the west of the Mercurey zone, patches of clay with "chailles" (siliceous nodules) give rise to more acidic, very stony, and sometimes very free-draining soils, with a limestone bedrock lying just a few decimetres below the surface.
• The delimited plots for harvest are situated on hillsides of varied aspects at altitudes ranging from 220 to 350 metres, with predominantly calcareous soils, locally acidic over the chailloux clays, and always very well drained.
• The semi-oceanic climate is subject to southerly influences channelled through the Saône valley, with average annual rainfall below 800 millimetres, distributed without a summer dry season.

• The Mercurey appellation d'origine contrôlée was recognised by decree in 1936, following a court case won in 1923 by producers organised into a defence syndicate against neighbouring villages that had been misappropriating the name.
• The Mercurey vineyard is planted predominantly with Pinot noir, the principal grape variety accounting for 87% of planted area, across a total of 677 hectares in 2010.

• The red wines are elegant and powerful, with present tannins that round out with age and complex aromas generally dominated by red-fruit notes, often evolving toward animal nuances.
• The white wines are dry wines, generally described as rich and powerful, with dried-fruit aromas, a mineral note, and a complex, lingering palate.

• The generally east-facing orientation of the Mercurey zone toward the rising sun creates favourable mesoclimatic conditions, with early morning warming and dispersal of the frequent fogs in the plain.
• The calcareous nature of the bedrock and its covering of stony debris, combined with the relief, ensure optimal drainage that offsets the regularity of rainfall.

Facts drawn from the specification's terroir-link section by automatic interpretation — see the source.

Dénominations géographiques complémentaires

• Mercurey premier cru AOC (PDO)
• Mercurey premier cru Clos de Paradis AOC (PDO)
• Mercurey premier cru Clos des Barraults AOC (PDO)
• Mercurey premier cru Clos des grands Voyens AOC (PDO)
• Mercurey Premier Cru Clos des Montaigus AOC (PDO)
• Mercurey premier cru Clos des Myglands AOC (PDO)
• Mercurey Premier Cru Clos du Château de Montaigu AOC (PDO)
• Mercurey premier cru Clos Marcilly AOC (PDO)
• Mercurey premier cru Clos Tonnerre AOC (PDO)
• Mercurey premier cru Clos Voyens AOC (PDO)
• Mercurey premier cru Grand Clos Fortoul AOC (PDO)
• Mercurey premier cru Griffères AOC (PDO)
• Mercurey premier cru La Bondue AOC (PDO)
• Mercurey premier cru La Cailloute AOC (PDO)
• Mercurey premier cru La Chassière AOC (PDO)
• Mercurey premier cru La Levrière AOC (PDO)
• Mercurey premier cru La Mission AOC (PDO)
• Mercurey premier cru Le Clos du Roy AOC (PDO)
• Mercurey premier cru Le Clos l'Evêque AOC (PDO)
• Mercurey premier cru Les Byots AOC (PDO)
• Mercurey premier cru Les Champs Martin AOC (PDO)
• Mercurey premier cru Les Combins AOC (PDO)
• Mercurey premier cru Les Croichots AOC (PDO)
• Mercurey premier cru Les Crêts AOC (PDO)
• Mercurey premier cru Les Fourneaux AOC (PDO)
• Mercurey premier cru Les Montaigus AOC (PDO)
• Mercurey premier cru Les Naugues AOC (PDO)
• Mercurey premier cru Les Puillets AOC (PDO)
• Mercurey premier cru Les Ruelles AOC (PDO)
• Mercurey premier cru Les Saumonts AOC (PDO)
• Mercurey premier cru Les Vasées AOC (PDO)
• Mercurey premier cru Les Velley AOC (PDO)
• Mercurey premier cru Sazenay AOC (PDO)

All appellations in France

Sources

• Product specification (BO Agri, PDF)
• Official INAO text (show_texte)
• INAO product entry
• Official trade body site — BIVB