Domaine Menand 2006 Tasting Notes

Mercurey Premier Cru Les Byots 2004
Mercurey Premier Cru Clos des Combins 2004

After the heatwave vintage of 2003, things returned to normal in 2004. The summer was dry and warm, with a small amount of rain refreshing the crop prior to the harvest. These ideal conditions proved perfect for the Pinot Noir - which had struggled in the heat of the previous year - and have allowed Philippe Menand to produce a truly classic Mercurey.

Philippe is widely regarded as one of the stars of the Appellation and he is certainly on form with his 2004 vintages - even though his two premier cru vineyards produce very different styles of wine.

Our exclusive Les Byots is unique, as although the Menand family owns just a third of this tiny vineyard, they are the only winemakers to produce a Mercurey 1er Cru Les Byots - the other owners do not vinify their grapes separately because of the small quantities involved. The 2004 vintage is a benchmark burgundian Pinot Noir. Medium in depth it is redolent of soft red fruit with just a hint of spice, and is beautifully structured with supple, silky tannins, which balance the fruit perfectly. It is a vintage that will repay keeping over the next five or more years, when it will develop the complex secondary characters of a mature Pinot Noir.

Our other wine comes from the renowned Clos des Combins - one of the finest sites in Mercurey. Clos is the French term for a walled vineyard, and it is significant because the wall results in a warmer climate than in surrounding exposed vineyards. This is reflected in the style of Clos des Combins which is fuller and richer than Les Byots. Here wonderful dark-fruit flavours of black cherries and damsons are evident, and the tannins are softer and more voluptuous. Again this is a wine which is attractive now, but will gain in complexity over the next five years.