Château de Chamirey - Mercurey rouge 2023

The Devillard family has expanded beyond the borders of Burgundy by acquiring the Rolet estate in the Jura. In Mercurey, Château de Chamirey remains their largest Burgundian property, with 37 hectares, 15 of which are Premier Cru vineyards. Another distinctive feature of the estate is its table d’hôtes, located in the heart of the hamlet. A skilled technical team—including the newly appointed cellar master, Carole Briffox, advised by oenologist Enrico Peyrone—is constantly striving to improve practices in the vineyards, winemaking, and aging, always in pursuit of excellence. Following a particularly successful 2017 vintage, the estate has successfully captured the full potential of the 2018 vintage—its intensity as well as its finesse. A step up in our ranking could be achieved very soon.

Owned by the Devillard family, this iconic estate began its winemaking operations in the 1930s, under the leadership of the Marquis de Jouennes. His heirs—Bertrand Devillard and his children, Amaury and Aurore—now manage a vast 37-hectare vineyard.

As I wrote earlier, the Devillard family’s Château de Chamirey, spanning nearly 39 hectares, dominates the landscape of Mercurey. Fortunately, the quality of these wines now makes them a more than worthy ambassador for the appellation. Managing such a large estate naturally presents challenges, but estate manager Enrico Peyron is to be commended for the progress he has made in adapting a large winery to a small-scale operation. Two harvest teams, for example, now operate independently: one responsible for the whites, the other for the reds. The 2018 vintage, which I tasted in Beaune, turned out very well here, producing balanced and elegant reds and charming, expressive whites.

This majestic estate in the hamlet of Chamirey has been owned by the Devillard family since 1934 and boasts a superb collection of vineyards in Mercurey, including six Premier Crus. It features a tasting room as well as a highly sought-after charming guesthouse: a swimming pool awaits you there at the foot of the Clos du Roi vineyards. The quality of the 2019 vintage is inconsistent and, unfortunately, follows the string of disappointments seen with the 2018 wines last year.