Château de Chamirey, Mercurey 1er Cru (Burgundy, France) 2010

The Château de Chamirey, one of the finest producers in Mercurey, owns about one-third of Clos du Roi, a 30-acre premier cru vineyard.  They’ve divided their 10-acres into four distinct plots identified by different soils, which produce Pinot Noir that ripens at slightly different times.  They harvest the parcels separately, vinify the wines from each parcel, and then blend them.  The result is a superb Mercurey that shows the heights the wines from this village can attain when the winemaking team is compulsive and talented.  It has the bright, red cherry-like flavors and the firmness you’d expect from the wines of Mercurey, but with more concentration.  What really sets it apart from the pack is its elegance, length and complexity.  There’s just more going on in the glass.  It’s actually a great choice for steak now, although my experience with the wines from Château de Chamirey is that they develop beautifully with cellaring.