Mercurey blanc Les Marcoeurs 2024 Chateau de Chamilly

The Mercurey Blanc Les Marcoeurs 2024 from Château de Chamilly is one of the most elegant and surprising cuvées from this Chalonnaise domaine, a Chardonnay from Mercurey, an appellation known above all for its red Pinot Noirs, which reveals all the finesse and mineral tension this commune can produce in white when in good hands. A refined and accessible Mercurey, with fine chalk underpinning, whose palate is seductive and elegantly oaked, always with freshness.

The terroir and vineyard

The lieu-dit Les Marcoeurs is situated on the commune of Mercurey, in the Côte Chalonnaise, on argilo-calcareous soils with a calcareous dominance characteristic of the appellation. Chardonnay finds particularly favourable conditions here for expressing its natural finesse and minerality. The white chalks with flint (chailles) that compose the subsoil of this parcel, poor and well-draining, give the wine a precise chalk tension and natural freshness that some tasters compare to Chardonnays from Montagny or even Chablis. Moderate altitude and favourable exposure allow the variety to achieve harmonious maturity while preserving the natural acidity of the grapes. Viticulture is reasoned and has been in organic conversion since 2021. Harvesting is manual with transport in small-volume containers. Pressing is pneumatic and gentle, with settling of 12 to 24 hours. Alcoholic fermentation and ageing take place in Burgundian oak barrels with a moderate proportion of new wood. Winemaking without added sulphites during fermentation is faithful to the domaine's philosophy. On the 2024 vintage, marked by remarkable natural freshness in the Côte Chalonnaise, the Chardonnays express particularly striking tension and vivacity.

Tasting profile

The colour is a pale gold with green tints, limpid and bright. The nose is fresh and expressive, with notes of white flowers, citrus, pear and crisp green apple, with a light, well-integrated oak character from ageing in Burgundian barrels. A precise chalky minerality gradually comes to the fore, bringing depth and tension to a floral and fruity bouquet of natural frankness and delicacy. On the palate, the texture is silky and well-balanced, with fresh, precise matter carried by well-integrated natural acidity that brings lift and salinity. The oak is elegant and discreet, in service of the terroir and fruit without ever dominating them. The finish is clean, mineral and persistent, with that return of chalk and citrus that is the signature of Côte Chalonnaise Chardonnays made with precision. An immediately pleasurable white of real character, to drink over the next three to six years.

The domaine

A former residence of the Marquis de Chamilly, founded in the 17th century, Château de Chamilly has belonged to the Desfontaine family since the beginning of the 19th century, now run by Véronique and her sons Xavier and Arnaud since 2007. The domaine extends over 32 hectares spread across the appellations Bourgogne, Mercurey, Montagny and Bouzeron, divided equally between white and red. The philosophy is simple and constant, respect the earth, the vine, the grapes and the wine, remain very close to nature and the expression of their terroirs. Each climat is vinified and aged separately, as each has its own exposure and soil composition that creates a unique subtlety of taste and minerality.

Food pairings

This Mercurey Blanc Les Marcoeurs pairs beautifully with steamed scallops, sole meunière, river fish with beurre blanc, white asparagus with mousseline sauce, light blanquette de veau or fresh goat's cheese with herbs. Served between 10 and 12°C, it will reveal all the mineral freshness, chalk tension and natural elegance of a white Mercurey crafted with care and sincerity by a winemaking family of integrity for twelve generations.