Domaine Raquillet : Mercurey 1er Cru "Les Veleys" 2023

Characteristics and Tasting Notes for Domaine Raquillet Mercurey 1er Cru "Les Veleys" 2023

Tasting Notes

Nose
The aromatic bouquet opens with expressive notes of ripe red cherries, delicately underscored by subtle hints of oak from the ageing process.

Palate
On the palate, this wine proves powerful, full-bodied and solidly structured. Despite this robustness, the tannins are particularly silky. The wine unfolds towards a soft, mineral finish that lends a pleasant sense of freshness. With a few years of ageing, the wine's texture will gain even more suppleness and roundness.

Food and Wine Pairing
This cuvée pairs wonderfully with flavourful red meats or dishes with character. It is ideally suited to roasted beef fillet, duck breast, or fine cuts of feathered game.

Serving and Cellaring
To fully appreciate the Mercurey 1er Cru "Les Veleys" 2023, it is recommended to serve it at 18°C. During its early years, decanting is advised to soften its structure. With excellent ageing potential, this wine can be cellared until around 2033.

Other Characteristics
The estate has been certified High Environmental Value (HVE) since 2022, reflecting a strong commitment to farming practices that respect the ecosystem.

The Elegance of Pinot Noir at the Heart of Mercurey by Domaine Raquillet

The Estate
Located in Burgundy, in the heart of the Côte Chalonnaise, Domaine Raquillet is a true benchmark of its appellation. Although the family history spans more than ten generations, the estate in its current form was officially established in 1990 when it was taken over by François Raquillet and his wife Emmanuelle. Joined by their daughter Jeanne in 2018, the current owners oversee a fourteen-hectare vineyard. Renowned as a mark of quality and consistency, the estate stands out for its demanding viticulture, controlled yields and highly precise reading of the local terroirs.

The Vineyard
The vines behind this cuvée grow on a small 0.80-hectare plot within the Mercurey appellation. With an average age of 65 years, the vines benefit from an ideal due-east exposure, facing the rising sun. They thrive on soils composed of low-limestone marls. The vineyard is managed using an integrated pest management approach, with simple Guyot pruning. The soils are mechanically worked through several ploughings a year. Bud thinning and leaf removal are also carried out to aerate the vines, limit the development of botrytis and ensure the grapes are in impeccable health.

Winemaking and Ageing
The production of the Mercurey 1er Cru "Les Veleys" 2023 begins with hand-harvesting, with the grapes placed in crates before careful sorting at the winery. The berries, 100% destemmed, are transferred to the vat by gravity. A five-day cold pre-fermentation maceration is carried out at 12°C. Alcoholic fermentation starts naturally in the vat thanks to indigenous yeasts, with daily pumping-overs and no punching down. After devatting, which takes place after twelve to fifteen days, and pressing, malolactic fermentation occurs in barrels. The wine is then aged for twelve months in barrels (30% new), followed by six months in stainless steel tanks to polish the tannins. A light filtration precedes bottling, which takes place in spring after two winters spent in the cellar.

Grape Variety
This cuvée is made exclusively from pinot noir.