2017 Maison Chanzy Mercurey Clos du Roy Premier Cru Burgundy France 750 ml

Maison Chanzy’s 2017 Clos du Roy Premier Cru is one of the essential bottlings of Mercurey, capturing with striking purity the classic wild berry and forest floor profile that defines the Côte de Chalonnaise’s most famous village. 

The wine is cultivated from a single acre of a Premier Cru vineyard whose excellence has been recognized since the days of monarchical rule. Low yields and meticulous organic farming give this red Burgundy a freshness and delicacy that immediately sing through the glass. The fine-boned tannic structure reveals precise notes of wild violet, black tea, hibiscus, and damp earth.

In an age when critics assign points for Burgundy quite stingily, Maison Chanzy’s 2017 effort seriously overperforms, winning 93 points from Wine Enthusiast, which raved: “There is an elegance and light touch about this wine and a delicate perfume. Freshness pervades all.”

For the price, it’s a Burgundy made to be revisited many times over the next few years. But with just a few barrels produced from Maison Chanzy’s tiny Clos du Roy holding, that’ll be a privilege reserved for those who get to the “Buy” button first. 

We first came across Maison Chanzy at a hotel in the village of Bouzeron, where the winery was founded in 1974. It was a shabby-chic little establishment: tiny rooms, cracks in the ceiling, wicker furniture, and old paperback copies of Balzac in the sitting room. But the wine list was filled with local gems, including this Maison Chanzy release.

The bottling was quite youthful at the time, tightly wound and showing an exquisite tart berry freshness. But even after a long day of tasting, it lit up our palate like few other wines we had sampled. We thought we had made the discovery of the trip—only to find out that most of the wine was already spoken for inside France.

But today, the estate is growing its international presence, and they hadn’t forgotten about our intense interest in their Clos du Roy release. A phone call later, we were the owners of a top Premier Cru Mercurey we thought was impossible to get.

The winery owns and operates parcels across 40 appellations, including eleven Grand Cru and thirteen Premier Cru sites. In the southern village of Mercurey, their wines are known for a kiss of ripeness, and Clos du Roy is one of the village’s top sites. Chanzy’s portion of the Clos du Roy vineyard is minuscule, just a little over an acre. The southern exposure is ideal, allowing for even ripening, while the proximity to the woods protects the vines from cold, strong winds. Classic limestone and clay soils make for excellent drainage, and help grapes to evolve with finesse and elegance.

The winemaking team achieves superb energy and vitality through 50% whole-cluster fermentation, while aging in traditional 228-liter barrels fine-tunes the wine without overwhelming the natural expression of the vineyard.

Give it 60 to 90 minutes in a decanter to fully stretch out and shine in harmony. Another few years in the cellar will accomplish the same naturally. Either way, this shows itself as a classic Mercurey bottling, fresh and delicate with a touch of forest wildness—incredibly rewarding at an amazing value.