What you need…
You need the 2008 Mercurey Vieilles Vignes from Domaine Ninot. You may not yet know you need it, but you do. Trust me on this one.
This may just be the best red burg around under $50. Even better is that you can get two bottles of this for under $50 (with our new 10% 6-bottle discount). Hooked yet? Good – here’s more…
Smack in the heart of the village of Rully lies the funky warren of ancient buildings that have been cobbled together over the centuries to house Domaine Ninot. Make that over many centuries. Domaine Ninot traces its beginnings to the early 1300s! The estate is now in the hands of young Erell Ninot, who took over from her father in 2005, and has now been joined in the vineyards by her younger brother Flavien. They farm organically, and own some 29 acres throughout the villages of Mercurey, Rully and Givry in Burgundy’s Côte Chalonnaise (adjoining and directly south of the Côte de Beaune.)
The village of Mercurey
In the right hands, wines from these villages can be of very high quality, and when they are, they are also exceptional values. Erell is an energetic dynamo, in full charge of all viticulture and winemaking for the estate. She keeps her yields extremely low for the appellation (averaging 2.5 tons to the acre for the reds), and has proven to have a deft touch in the cellar. New oak is kept to 10-15% at most, so it is the beauty of the fruit and the terroir that show through, not the wood.
Martha & Pirrie in the cellar with Erell Ninot
The 2008 Mercurey Vieilles Vignes (MAIR-Kyoo-ray Vee-ay VEEN-yuh) comes from several parcels in the village, the average vine age being 60 years+. There are pretty notes of red berries and hints of underbrush on the nose, and in the mouth it’s all ripe, rich black cherries and blackberries – mouth-coating, long, and just plain delicious. At $26 a bottle it’s a steal, even better at $23.40 when you buy 6, and a staggering $20.80 per when you buy 12. It’s totally ready to drink, although I’d recommend putting some down to drink over the next 2-3 years as well. Delicious red Burgundy does not have to break the bank!
The entrance to Domaine Ninot
On another subject entirely – the quarter-finalists for the Champions League are now set – with Arsenal, Barcelona, Inter-Milan, Manchester United, Lyon, CSKA Moscow, Bayern Munich and Bordeaux all surviving to play on. The draw will be announced on Friday, and I’m praying Arsenal get Bordeaux, Moscow or Lyon. More as it happens…
