DOMAINE DU MEIX FOULOT

(AGNES DEWE-DE LAUNAY)

The wines of Mercurey may lack the elegance, breed, and complexity of their brethren to the north but, when properly handled, a good Mercurey transmits to the taster the essence of Burgundian pinot noir with fruit that can mimic, but in its more rustic fashion, the dark berry quality of top Cote de Nuits wines. We have worked for over two decades with the Domaine du Meix Foulot, first with Paul de Launay and now with his daughter, Agnes. The recent accession of Agnes as director of the domaine has gently leavened the roughness of these wines the edges of which are now a touch more rounded and graceful. But, the precision and tension, if you will, that has always made these wines so special and rewarding is actually further accented by her presence. Mercurey from this domaine has always rewarded its buyer with some of the finest value that exists in our portfolio and we urge you to take advantage of these stunning wines.

MERCUREY ROUGE 1ER CRU "DOMAINE DU MEIX FOULOT" 2002:
this cuvee is a sheer delight; a blend of grapes from the "Byots" and "Les Montaigus" vineyards; bottled quite late as the Byots part of the cuvee took a particularly long time to complete its malolactic fermentation; a beautiful robe reflects the true color of pinot; lovely fruit, soft approach, smooth tannins, good acidity; a well balanced wine with high toned aromatics and excellent freshness.

MERCUREY 1ER CRU "LES SAUMONTS" 2002:
bottled In July 2004; marked by expressive wild berry fruit; more rustic, more tannic, more concentrated, more masculine than the prior cuvee; a classic Mercurey with a bright red robe and strong personality.

MERCUREY 1ER CRU "LES VELEYS" 2002:
perhaps the deepest, most full-bodied of this quartet of wines; frequently the most 'sauvage' wine of this domaine but in this vintage it is quite distinguished; a structured wine with a frank expression of dark berry fruits; outstanding with great persistence and excellent balance.

MERCUREY 1ER CRU "CLOS DU CHATEAU DE MONTAIGU" 2002:
this gem of a vineyard is a monopole of the de Launay family; always the most elegant and refined of the wines from the domaine;a profound, complete wine with structure, plenty of material; excellent concentration that displays this wine's complex marriage of fruit to mineral; a touch of pepper and spice to season the bright red fruits.