Burgundy 2022 En Primeur: Domaine Jeannin-Naltet, Mercurey
With each new vintage Benoît Eschard's wines from Domaine Jeannin-Naltet are more and more impressive, so we are delighted to offer his abundant and excellent 2022s, including some cuvées that are new to our list. At the helm at his family domaine for ten years, Benoît is rightly but quietly confident in the quality he is producing here.
A few years ago, he replanted some Mercurey plots with Chardonnay, to produce additional Mercurey Blanc. The 2022 Mercurey Blanc was delicious, with a nutty, savoury character, quite distinct from our other white burgundy offerings and we think you will love it. The Aligoté was a classic example of this variety, not overly ambitious but majoring on fresh citrus and mint on the nose and palate, with wonderful ripeness to the fruit.
The Bourgogne Pinot Noir and Mercurey Vieilles Vignes are also new additions this year and at just £150 and £225 per dozen in bond respectively, they challenge the notion that great Pinot Noir from this region has to be expensive.
The three single-vineyard wines more than justify the modest step up in price, with Les Grands Voyens once again a great allrounder, offering the concentration and dark fruit character and fine tannins we normally associate with villages like Morey-St-Denis or Chambolle-Musigny.
At such compelling prices, we recommend ordering from across the range of Jeannin-Naltet's wines.
Offered En Primeur, due to land in the UK in autumn 2024.
Producer Profile
Domaine Jeannin-Naltet, Mercurey
Domaine Jeannin-Naltet in Mercurey was a new find for us in 2018. A small, family-owned domaine, it has been undergoing a transformation since Benoît Eschard took over from his uncle, seven years ago. Nearly 8 of Benoît's 9 hectares are premier cru and he has been working hard to emphasize freshness and minerality in his 1er Cru 'Clos des Grand Voyens' (a monopole, owned solely by the domaine) and 1er cru Les Naugues.
The 'Clos des Grand Voyens' is on a mixture of clay and limestone and shows both chalky-limestone character and a softer, more broad-shouldered style. 'Les Naugues' undoubtedly has more concentration, but more limestone in the terroir gives a tauter structure, which will take a little longer to come round for drinking.
| WHITE | 2022 | Jeannin-Naltet - Mercurey Blanc | 75cl | £240 per case of 12 | Jeannin-Naltet Mercurey Blanc 2022 / / 75cl £240 per case of 12 |
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Tasting NotesIntense aromas of hazelnut and citrus fruit on the nose with a backdrop of toast and spice from the oak. Has a lovely savoury quality on the palate, beautifully balanced and with a persistent finish. Benoit pointed out that, following the small harvest in 2021, he needed to buy in more new oak barrels than usual for the larger 2022 vintage. The Merucrey Village has benefited from this, with the oak giving impressive structure. RKL------"Smells riper and creamier than the Aligoté. Ripe lemon and lime, concentrated fruit balanced by crisp acidity. Not particularly complex but full-flavoured. 16 points" jancisrobinson.com (JH) |
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| RED | 2022 | Jeannin-Naltet - Mercurey Clos des Grands Voyens 1er cru | 75cl | £280 per case of 12 | Jeannin-Naltet Mercurey Clos des Grands Voyens 1er cru 2022 / / 75cl £280 per case of 12 |
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Tasting NotesA beautiful walled vineyard site. All 5 ha are owned by Jeannin-Naltet, making this a 'monopole'. Planted at a very high density, 10,000 vines per hectare. 25% new oak. Immediate and lovely on the nose! The intensity of fruit aromas suggests great depth and concentration to come and the palate doesn't disappoint, with huge dollops or cherry and raspberry fruits and silkily-soft tannins. One taster commented "it will cellar, but why would you wait"! RKL------"Mid crimson. Deliciously scented with non-sweet dark-red fruit. Such fine tannins but they really frame the fresh fruit to a T. Vibrant, fresh and rounded on the finish. 16.5 points" jancisrobinson.com (JH) |
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| RED | 2022 | Jeannin-Naltet - Mercurey Clos L'Eveque 1er cru | 75cl | £270 per case of 12 | Jeannin-Naltet Mercurey Clos L'Eveque 1er cru 2022 / / 75cl £270 per case of 12 |
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Tasting NotesDark cassis and earth on the nose, with some violet or peony and grenadine. The palate is even darker, with a succulent core of fruit wrapped up in refined tannins. Benoit notes that this fine character to the tannins is a characteristic of Clos L'Eveque. RKL------"Mid crimson. Inviting aroma of dark-red fruits with a touch of crushed stones. Peppery, direct, red cherry on the palate. Structured perfectly for the fruit at the core. Long finish. 16.5 points" jancisrobinson.com (JH) |
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| RED | 2022 | Jeannin-Naltet - Mercurey Les Naugues 1er cru | 75cl | £295 per case of 12 | Jeannin-Naltet Mercurey Les Naugues 1er cru 2022 / / 75cl £295 per case of 12 |
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Tasting NotesLes Naugues (pronounce, rather disconcertingly, with a hard 'g') is a 1 ha south-facing site, with 46-year-old vines, on limestone-marl. The aspect means that the grapes here ripen early. Aged 100% in oak barrels, of which 30% are new. This is a combination of the weight of Grand Voyens with the fine tannins of L'Eveque, powerful but silky at the same time. This site always makes wines needing longer ageing and this is still true in this vintage...give it around 6 years from bottling. RKL------"Mid crimson. Riper and darker-fruited than the Clos des Grands Voyens. The fruit is rich but fresh, deep, generous, framed by firm, youthful tannins. Needs more time. 16.5+ points" jancisrobinson.com (JH) |
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