From the atlas
Domaine du Château du Val de Mercy
A Burgundy domaine pairing Chablis and Auxerrois whites with Côte de Beaune reds under the supervision of engineer-oenologist Bertrand Thibault.
At A Glance
| Field | Detail |
| Region | Burgundy |
| Winery locations | Chitry-le-Fort and Pommard |
| White wine areas | Chablis and Auxerrois |
| Red wine villages | Pommard and Volnay |
| Named white wine | Chablis Premier Cru Côte de Jouan |
The Producer
Domaine du Château du Val de Mercy makes white wines from Chablis and Auxerrois and red wines from Côte de Beaune holdings. Bertrand Thibault supervises the vineyards and vinification. He is an engineer-oenologist from a wine growing family, bringing technical training and inherited Burgundy experience to the work.
The range includes Chablis Premier Cru Côte de Jouan, Pommard and Volnay. White and red wines come from distinct Burgundian areas, with named appellations carrying the geography onto the bottle.
Place
Chitry-le-Fort is the domaine's winery location in the Auxerrois area associated with Chablis. Pommard is the winery location in the Côte de Beaune. The geography places a Chablis Premier Cru white, Côte de Jouan, alongside red wines from Pommard and Volnay.
Chablis and Côte de Beaune use different village and appellation names, so the range keeps its northern white wine and southern red wine origins visible on the label.
Story
Bertrand Thibault supervises the domaine's vineyards and vinification as an engineer-oenologist and estate partner. His family comes from wine growing, with traditional Burgundy wine making methods influencing the generations before him.
In 1992, the domaine began rebuilding its wine production facilities. The current work covers Chablis and Auxerrois whites alongside Côte de Beaune reds, with Thibault overseeing the vineyard and cellar work.
Vineyards And Cellar
The domaine owns approximately 30 hectares of vineyards, with 22 hectares in the Chablis appellation and 8 hectares in the Auxerrois area.
Pommard comes from 50-year-old vines. The wine undergoes two to three weeks of maceration in vats, with hand pigeage and pumping over during fermentation. Pigeage keeps the grape skins in contact with the fermenting wine, helping extract colour and tannin.
Wines
The white range includes Chablis wines, Auxerrois wines and Chablis Premier Cru Côte de Jouan. Chablis 2020 sits beside the more specifically named Côte de Jouan bottle.
The red range includes Pommard and Volnay. Pommard is matured for 18 months in oak barrels, giving the red side of the portfolio an oak aged style alongside the white wines' lees élevage.
In The Glass
Chablis Premier Cru Côte de Jouan opens with acacia honey and hawthorn blossom, joined by subtle mineral notes. The palate is round and full, with mineral character continuing through the length.
Chablis 2020 has a generous, exact palate with a mineral line running throughout. Volnay shows a light red colour and expressive aromas of fresh strawberry and licorice.
Pommard is deep dark ruby, with blackberry and bilberry notes. With age, the wine can develop a wild, feline character, followed by leather, chocolate and pepper as maturity advances.
A Bottle To Understand It
Choose Chablis Premier Cru Côte de Jouan. It comes from 28-year-old vines and matures on fine lees for 10 months. Fine lees are the yeast sediment left after fermentation, and extended contact can give white wine a rounder texture.
As a Premier Cru wine, Côte de Jouan carries a named site within Chablis. It places vineyard age, site status and lees élevage in one bottle, before the range moves into the red wines of the Côte de Beaune.
Anecdote
In 2007, Domaine du Château du Val de Mercy acquired vineyards in the Côte de Beaune villages of Pommard, Volnay and Auxey-Duresses. The acquisition added these named villages to the domaine's holdings. Pommard and Volnay appear in the red wine range, while Auxey-Duresses remains named among the acquired Côte de Beaune vineyards. The domaine has a winery in Pommard, alongside its Chitry-le-Fort location in the Auxerrois Chablis area.
Final Word
Domaine du Château du Val de Mercy brings Chablis Premier Cru Côte de Jouan, Pommard and Volnay into one Burgundy range, with vineyards divided between Chablis and Auxerrois and cellar work extending into the Côte de Beaune.
Sources
- http://www.valdemercy.eu/
- http://www.valdemercy.eu/vap/1275/Pg/p3/the_history.html
- http://www.valdemercy.eu/vap/1275/Pg/p14/chablis-auxerrois.html
- http://www.valdemercy.eu/vap/1275/Pg/p15/pommard-cotedebeaune.html
- http://www.valdemercy.eu/vap/1275/Db/p13/i6/s7/chablispremiercrucotede_jouan.html
- http://www.valdemercy.eu/vap/1275/Db/p11/i13/s5/pommard.html
- https://www.hachette-vins.com/guide-vins/les-vins/ch-du-val-de-mercy-2020-2023/202367085/
- https://www.hachette-vins.com/guide-vins/les-vins/chateau-du-val-de-mercy-2009-2013/20135243/