Louis Max Mercurey Les Rochelles Blanc 2017
- Decanter
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James
Suckling
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Decanter
A superb example of the terroir. Highly polished with layers of fresh chalky mineral character underpinned by a rich, creamy roundness. Beautifully persistent and complex with a delicious salty edge to the finish.
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James Suckling
The oyster-shell and flinty nose says “white Burgundy“, but this is from a lesser known appellation with a friendly price. Juicy palate with a nice structure and a long, fresh finish that’s not a jot too tart.
The house has always retained a family structure and today, Laurent Max, great-grandson of founder Louis Max, together with a motivated team, has doted itself with all the means of success. The house owns or operates over eighty-seven hectare, or two hundred and fifty acres of Burgundy vineyard.
The eccentric Laurent Max has invested heavily in the vinification facilities in Nuits-Saint-Georges, and, more importantly has installed the young and passionate Brigitte Putzu as head winemaker at Louis Max. Brigitte has spent over sixteen years at Louis Max, formerly as assistant winemaker, and has a long relationship with the 87 hectares of vineyards and clos that Louis Max controls. Brigitte’s wines illustrate her meticulousness in their ripeness, purity and balance.
Since the 1996 harvest, Brigitte has had complete control of vineyard management and vinification for Louis Max. No single vineyard is harvested without Brigitte’s nod – only when ripeness is perfect both technically and physiologically.
One of the most popular and versatile white wine grapes, Chardonnay offers a wide range of flavors and styles depending on where it is grown and how it is made. While it tends to flourish in most environments, Chardonnay from its Burgundian homeland produces some of the most remarkable and longest lived examples. California produces both oaky, buttery styles and leaner, European-inspired wines. Somm Secret—The Burgundian subregion of Chablis, while typically using older oak barrels, produces a bright style similar to the unoaked style. Anyone who doesn't like oaky Chardonnay would likely enjoy Chablis.
Beloved for its deep and flavorful reds made of Pinot Noir, Mercurey is the largest and most important village in the Côte Chalonnaise of Burgundy with most of its vineyards tucked away in hillsides or stretched along the aptly-named “Golden Valley.” This valley, sheltered from the moist and cool air that funnels along at lower elevations, is ideal for ripening Pinot noir.
Mercurey follows strict yield laws, similar to those at the Côte d’Or village level, promoting the development of deep, full, concentrated and age-worthy Pinot noirs. In their youth, a chewy and rich structure supports flavors of ripe strawberry, raspberry and cherry. Age brings notes of underbrush, tobacco and cocoa.
While Pinot Noir claims the majority of Mercurey vineyard acreage, Chardonnay does grow here and produces uniqely floral and spicey scented white wines.