En Primeur | Domaine Jean-Pierre et Vincent Charton
Domaine Charton is a little jewel within the appellation of Mercurey, founded by Vincent’s grandfather in 1941. Vincent credits his father Jean-Pierre with assembling their 11.5 hectare portfolio from some of the appellation’s finest locations. Jean-Pierre, in his role as vineyard manager for the Bouchard estates in the village, had a watchful eye for his favourite spots. When they occasionally came on to the market, providing they were within his means, he quietly picked them up to expand and become one of the village’s most respected domaines. Whilst nowadays Jean-Pierre is more often than not out on “la Chasse”, he watchfully supports his son, taking great pride in the recognition he has received as one of the best young winemakers in Burgundy.
2022 Mercurey 1er Cru La Chassiere Vincent et Jean-Pierre Charton
£165.00 In Bond £217.24 Inc VAT (£36.20 Per Bottle)-
Goedhuis, December 2023
Vincent describes this as his “petit Volnay”. It is deliciously generous, with enticing plum, blackberry, and damson flavours, while there is a charming velvet-like ease to this wine, with soft tannins and a sweet, lush finish. Delicious.
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Matthew Jukes, January 2024, Score: 17.5
I had a feeling, early on, that this might be a useful vintage for Mercurey, as this village sometimes fails to reach genuine physiological ripeness even in ‘decent’ vintages. While some of the whites shine, the reds can be split into two distinct camps. The sweet-fruited, loose-knit, super-forward wines will delight the on-trade and keep punters happy and those more intriguing wines with more going on behind the scenes. By the time you take delivery of this wonderful wine, it will have set you back less than £37. Happy days. This is a very useful wine from a price perspective because there is structure and breeding behind the glorious red fruit.
2022 Mercurey 1er Cru Naugues Vincent et Jean-Pierre Charton
£165.00 In Bond £217.24 Inc VAT (£36.20 Per Bottle)-
Goedhuis, December 2023
Les Naugues is a prized vineyard within the appellation and its deep clay soils make a gloriously full and rich Mercurey wine. Morello cherry and liquorice, there is a tight, limestone subsoil character to this wine, with direct mineral tannins. Very pure, restrained and poised finish.
2022 Mercurey 1er Cru Clos du Roy Vincent et Jean-Pierre Charton
£170.00 In Bond £223.24 Inc VAT (£37.20 Per Bottle)-
Goedhuis, December 2023
As the name suggests, this is considered to be the most regal of all the Mercurey Premier Cru vineyards. A combination of marl and chalk soil, it produces pronounced and structured wines. Robust and intense, with smoky, dark black fruits on the nose, there is a hint of Pommard-esque power, which highlights both the strength of the appellation and the longevity of the very best Mercurey wines. Excellent.
2022 Mercurey 1er Cru Clos du Roy Vincent et Jean-Pierre Charton
£185.00 In Bond-
Goedhuis, December 2023
As the name suggests, this is considered to be the most regal of all the Mercurey Premier Cru vineyards. A combination of marl and chalk soil, it produces pronounced and structured wines. Robust and intense, with smoky, dark black fruits on the nose, there is a hint of Pommard-esque power, which highlights both the strength of the appellation and the longevity of the very best Mercurey wines. Excellent.