2015 Michel Sarrazin et Fils Mercurey La Perriere 750 ml

Parker’s “Extraordinary Burgundy Vintage” Value Buy

Perched on a limestone hilltop, overlooking the southern half of the Côte Chalonnaise, in the typically foggy hamlet of Jambles (population 50), the Sarrazin family has been making wine since 1964. On the day we visited with Guy and Jean-Yves Sarrazin, two brothers who took over winemaking from their dad in the 1990s, it was bright and sunny. Our stay at their 17th-century estate was short-lived, however, because Guy and Jean-Yves had made a reservation at L’Annexe, a local restaurant 2.5 miles away in the town of Givry.

Today’s 2015 Michel Sarrazin Mercurey La Perrière—though we didn’t know it then—was the star of the show, even amongst French cuisine of the highest order. It’s a beautiful Pinot, and a shining example of why Mercurey AOC is a treasure trove of value wines of immense quality—the kind of bottle that’s harder and harder to find thanks to Burgundy’s inflated price tags. From Sarrazin, it’s all the more special.

The short drive there took us along bumpy backroads. We peered over rows of thick-trunked vines on gentle south-facing slopes while the brothers talked of their traditions. Quality is paramount and the Sarrazins still eschew the use of pesticides or herbicides in their vineyards, opting to harvest every grape bunch by hand. The result is always evident in their reds, which are typically velvety and elegant, bursting with spice and energy—it’s why wine professionals get excited when they see “Sarrazin” on a label.

Over a four-course lunch of poached eggs, white fish, local Époisses, and warm chocolate cake, we drank a bottle of their 2015 Michel Sarrazin Mercurey La Perrière—a single-vineyard Pinot Noir from a 25-year-old vineyard to the north of their Jambles estate, which borders two Mercurey Premiers Crus.

Expansive on the palate, but feather-light on the entry and mid-palate, teeming with fresh-picked red raspberry fruit balanced by earth-driven morels, kissed by anise and leather, the finish reveals a salty minerality, which made this a dynamite pairing with L’Annexe’s white fish smothered in a crémant sauce, with crushed lemon and potato.

Furthermore, considering all the praise for the 2015 vintage, this is a real savvy pickup for collectors and novices alike. Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate has lauded 2015 as an “extraordinary Burgundy vintage.” Critic Stephen Tanzer has said, “(I)n terms of their consistent quality and broad appeal, 2015 will be a difficult vintage to top.” As the years prove him right, you’ll thank us for suggesting you lock into at least six bottles of this Sarrazin Mercurey La Perrière.

By the end of lunch, after the last drop of wine was poured out, we’d secured an 85-case allocation before bidding Guy and Jean-Yves adieu. It was great to see them and reaffirmed our strong relationship. Burgundy collectors—drink this with abandon because it’s a great case-buy pickup that will show well over the next 2-4 years.