Mercurey Rouge Vieilles Vignes, Domaine François Raquillet 2022

Who is the greatest, under-the-radar producer in Burgundy? There are a handful of growers in the Côte-d'Or who might deserve that title, but looking further south to Mercurey, one Domaine that is crafting incredible, thought-provoking wines is Francois Raquillet. With scores that rank alongside a top producer's Côte-d'Or 1er Crus, these are wines that merit a place in any serious Burgundy lover's cellar. Features as one of the Top 10 Côte Chalonnaise Producers in Tim Atkin's Burgundy 2022 Special Report. Widely considered the best producer of the village (and among the leaders of the region), Francois has been harvesting his 12ha (8 planted to red and 4 to white) of increasingly old vines, some 70 years+, at the end of August for the last six years so is far less concerned by climate change than many Côte d’Or growers to the north. In fact the Chalonnais has been a beneficiary of the hotter, drier weather as it has helped reduce yields, and increase concentration and ripeness in the grapes, ultimately leading to richer, more gourmand, and frankly much better wines.