"Holy Grail" Red Burgundy
2010 Juillot Mercurey 1er Cru
Clos Tonnerre
Stunning 2010 Red Burg - Sub-$30
This is a tough offer to write. It forces us to tread the fine line between palpable excitement and necessary restraint.
If the Côte Chalonnaise has developed a somewhat clichéd reputation for being a "value" region, it's one of those clichés that we personally have not often seen realized. In our experience, whatever the potential for this terroir, the great majority of these wines have been a bit dilute, a bit muddled, a bit... well, boring.
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Despite the countless inquiries for value wines from the Chalonnaise, it's a region we have rarely felt very strongly about.
Today that changes.
The 2010 Juillot Mercurey 1er Cru Clos Tonnerre was presented to us one afternoon with little fanfare, sandwiched between, in fact, a number of tastings and the wine really left a lasting impression.
This is a beautiful 1er Cru red Burgundy that displays great transparency, presence and balance.
Juillot's 2010 Mercurey 1er Cru flaunts the strengths of the vintage - purity of fruit, lift, precision, and above all a revitalizing energy. It struts a touch of spice and muscle, sporting topsoil-inflected minerality that is detailed and articulate. This offers the kind of quality and presence in 1er Cru red Burg that could command a $50 price tag. But it comes in much cheaper - finally, the value of the Chalonnaise!
This was an obvious "Back Up the Truck" offer - one of those "holy grail" wines we are constantly looking for (and rarely finding). The only problem? There are only a few cases to go around.
Thus, this email goes out only to a targeted few.
The Michel Juillot Estate has been in the family for four generations. The current steward, Laurent Juillot is a traditionalist: Grapes are handpicked, sorted in the vineyard and 100% destemmed, yields are kept low and the use of new oak remains minimal. Sourced from just under three hectares of 50-year-old-vines, the Clos Tonnerre is a rather serious Mercurey 1er Cru. Allen Meadows sums it up well: "The seductively textured medium weight flavors are delicious and possess excellent character."
The wine’s inherent structure means that it is more ageworthy than you might expect. While this is certainly beautiful now - and certainly priced so that you can enjoy it now without guilt - this definitely has another five plus years, if you want to go long and cellar a bit.
That said, quantities are going to be limited. So don't back up the truck - but get your orders in quick, as we don't expect this will last the day.
To order, please email us at offers@crushwineco.com or call the store at (212) 980-9463.
Joe Salamone
Wine Buyer
Crush Wine & Spirits
2010 Juillot Mercurey 1er Cru Clos Tonnerre
Allen Meadows: "This is compositionally similar to the Maillonge but in this case there is better complexity. The seductively textured medium weight flavors are delicious and possess excellent character on the slightly rustic, intense and impressively persistent finish. Recommended."