Domaine Michel Juillot

Domaine Michel Juillot

Domaine Michel Juillot is one of the leading estates in the Côte Chalonnaise village of Mercurey. The domaine's 30 hectares of vines are spread over the best sites in Mercurey, as well as vineyards in the Côte de Beaune. Laurent Juillot is the fourth generation to run the domaine, and he has obviously inherited his father Michel's attention to detail and focus on quality. The domaine produces a varied range of wines, from village Bourgogne up to the Grand Crus of Corton Perrières and Corton Charlemagne, but Laurent puts just as much effort into the vineyard management and winemaking of his entry level wines as he does his Grand Crus, and this is reflected in the quality across all price levels.

The Bourgogne wines are typified by their rich and ripe fruity style, with delicate oak spice, which comes from ageing them in old oak barrels for 6 - 12 months. They certainly have more structure than the average Bourgogne, and can age for several years after release, though are also delicious to drink in their youth. The Mercurey Blanc is fresh and crisp with citrus fruits and a streak of minerality. It has a sweet nuttiness from the 20% new oak used in the barrels. The Mercurey Rouge is a delicate and elegant wine with blackberry, raspberry and black cherry fruit and a ripe tannin structure. The Mercurey 1er Cru Clos des Barraults wines follow on from where the village wines leave off, adding extra layers of depth and complexity, with more oak spice and nuttiness from the new oak. The Grand Crus of Corton Perrières and Corton Charlemagne top off the range, with elegant, complex and concentrated wines aged for 12 - 18 months in 30% new oak and delicious fruit and mineral flavours, with great structure and length. These are serious wines which benefit from a few years ageing.