feature / then and now /A century of Mercurey


Grande Fête in July 2023 that featured every manner of activity and entertainment, including demonstrations of artisan skills from yesteryear, such as those of the farrier, the blacksmith, and the clog maker, while also looking to the future and the use of drones, RFID (radio frequency identification) chips for bottles, and GPS-guided tractors. The celebrations culminated in a more structured


commemorative weekend in March 2024, which started with a grand dinner billed as a “Four Hands, Five Stars” event—the creation of two big-name chefs who could lay claim to a quintet of Michelin stars between them. They were Eric Pras of Restaurant Lameloise in Chagny (Meilleur Ouvrier de France 2004), with three stars, and Cédric Burtin of Restaurant l’Amaryllis in St-Remy. The dinner was held at the Abbaye de Maizières near St-Loup-Géanges, and the chefs’ skills shone brightest early in the evening by way of a magnificent series of canapés—escargot de Bourgogne, succette de foie gras, tartelette de boeuf & tartare de boeuf—each a flavor jewel that beguiled the taste buds, though the foie gras topped them all. A pair of wines accompanied them: Domaine Patrick Guillot 2022 Mercurey Blanc Les Morins and Domaine Faiveley 2022 Mercurey Premier Cru Rouge Clos des Myglands. The former was a pleasant wine on its own, thanks to ripe, fresh fruit, but the latter matched better with the canapés, where its lovely bite of cherry-raspberry fruit counterpoised the broad array of flavors on offer. The canapés proved to be the gustatory highlight of the


evening, for, truth be told, events such as this are logistical rather than culinary triumphs. In terms of conviviality and joie de vivre it could not have been bettered, but the series of impressively crafted dishes struggled to capture the diners’ attention, save for one: the St-Jacques de plongée snackée, butternut fermentée, caviar Kristal Caviari, sauce barde de St-Jacques, huile de corail, poudre de citron noir d’Iran. It was a culinary triumph, replete with opulent, luxurious flavors and a satin texture that might have overwhelmed the taste buds had the Domaine de Suremain 2019 Mercurey Premier Cru Blanc En Sazenay not provided a gentle whip hand of acidity to corral the flavors and stop them running rampant. It was followed by volaille de Bresse farcie sous la peau, jus à la cazette du Morvan et safran, which provided a satisfying foil to the Château de Chamirey 2022 Mercurey Rouge Hors Ligne rather than shining in its own right. The wine spoke in an authoritative voice and confirmed—as did the earlier Faiveley Clos des Myglands—that the 2022 vintage in Burgundy is a wonderful combination of the richness of the 2020 and the reserve of the 2021. It is a vintage to seek out. The following day started with a visit to Le Caveau Divin, which sits at the northwestern end of Grande Rue before it swings left and heads into the vineyards. Self-described thus: “Le Caveau Divin is an innovative retail outlet in Burgundy that allows passing travelers to sample Mercurey’s wines. You can try up to 64 different wines from 44 estates and producers in this unique, comfortable setting.” The caveau opened in 2011 as a cooperative cellar and tasting venue, and as an introduction and showcase to the region, it could hardly be bettered. It uses the Enomatic dispensing system, which allows visitors to use a prepaid “credit card” to sample a host of wines, before going on to purchase their favored bottles—for the same price they would pay if buying direct from the producer. But don’t tarry there too long—there are vineyards to be explored.


104 | THE WORLD OF FINE WINE | ISSUE 87 | 2025


Find your way and your producers I am forever counseling wine lovers that only by visiting a wine region—planting your feet on the ground—can a full appreciation of its wines can be gleaned. If anything, this is truer for Mercurey than almost anywhere else, for by doing so one gains an appreciation of the convoluted topography that surrounds the village itself, sitting in stark contrast to its easily assimilated linear layout.


A glance at the map suggests that the Côte Chalonnaise is


simply a continuation of the Côte d’Or, but closer examination reveals this to be only partly true. Contour lines swirl and wriggle on the page; roads mimic their frenzy. The break-up of the regular slope of the Côte d’Or, foretold in the fractured landscape around Santenay and Maranges, continues apace in the Côte Chalonnaise and is most pronounced in Mercurey, where it looks as if a god reached down from the heavens and stirred the landscape into tumbled confusion. The topography defies easy assimilation; the land bucks and heaves, and the compass swings wildly as you thread your way along the challenging roads. Getting—and keeping—one’s bearings is a challenge. Make sure the satnav is working, and bring a good map for backup. And those roads are worthy of note. Constructed from concrete, they act as culverts thanks to a “reverse camber,”


Above and opposite (left): Mercurey’s collaborative spirit displayed at the Fête de St Vincent and Domaine de Suremain; opposite (right), plaques of Domaine Faiveley and Château de Chamirey, two of the leading producers.


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