Wine Profiles
A Very Focused & Mineral Mercury James Suckling: 2020 Les Heritiers Saint-Genys Clos Marcilly 1er Cru Mercurey Blanc
In the United States, the word monopoly doesn’t conjure up positive connotations. (Try to get tickets to Bruce or Taylor recently?) But in the prestigious world of Burgundian wine, a monopoly—or monopole as it is in French—is a wholly different, wonderful thing. It’s a unique vineyard with its own appellation (or AOC). No other vineyards exist within the appellation, and that indicates that the vineyard’s terroir is very special indeed. Think Romanee Conti and La Tache—they’re both monopoles.
Le Clos Marcilly, one of the first five original Premier Crus recognized in the highly-regarded Mercurey in 1943, is a monopole, too. Today’s wine, the 95 Point 2020 Les Heritiers Saint-Genys Clos Marcilly 1er Cru Mercurey Blanc comes exclusively from this special vineyard. Les Heritiers Saint-Genys calls on none other than Stephane Derenoncourt to craft this wine. Derenoncourt— one of the world’s most sought-after winemakers, according to Decanter— has made wine for a long list of wine royalty including Château Teyssier, Ch. Talbot, Ch. Smith Haut Lafitte, Clos Fourtet, Domaine Laroche in Chablis, Dom. Saint-Prefert in Chateauneuf, Commanderie de Peyrassol in Provence, Tenuta Argentiera in Bolgheri, and Inglenook.
The vineyard has a first-class pedigree. Derenoncourt has a first-class reputation. Even the vintage was first-class. What about the wine itself? It offers pure aromatics and perfect balance, all at an unbeatable price. If you love a hint of French oak in your Chardonnay, you're in for a treat. Expect a generous nose of citrus and pears, with a focused, mineral-driven palate, and a long, zesty lemon finish. Awarded ~95 points by James Suckling, it's ready to enjoy now or age for an even brighter future.
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