Wine Advisor
Bruno Lorenzon, Mercurey 1er Cru Piece 15 2023
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: William Kelley
The 2023 Mercurey 1er Cru Pièce 15 is an especially extrovert rendition of this cuvée, a bottling produced from 15 small, old-vine parcels growing on calcium-rich soils that Lorenzon considers his finest plots. Bursting with aromas of ripe citrus fruits, flowers, clear honey, buttery pastry and wet stones, it's medium- to full-bodied, rich and ample, with a fleshy, layered core and a long, expansive finish. Of course, it may shut down with some additional time in bottle, but for now, the 2023 is wide open.
About the Producer
After travelling across the vineyards of South Africa and New Zealand as a consultant, it was in 1997 that Bruno Lorenzon took over the family estate, assisted by his sister Carline. Bruno is considered to be a leading vigneron from the Mercurey crafting wines at a level rivalling great producers from the Northern part of Cote d’Or. The estate has 9 hectares in total, located in the village of Mercurey in Côte Chalonnaise: 6 hectares in the Mercurey appellation and 3 hectares in the Montagny appellation. The main variety is Pinot Noir, and 15% of the vineyard is planted with Chardonnay. Bruno decided to have a high density in the vines with more than 10,000 vines per hectare. The height of the vine can reach up to 1.70 meters. This height helps to optimize photosynthesis and create shade. Bruno meticulously farms his vineyards according to the viticulture practice of “lutte raisonnée”. In fact, it is remarkably close to organic farming. This practice advocates for the non-reliance of chemicals in grape growing. As a result, all vines are treated without any synthetic chemicals. Additionally, the yield is always kept low, and harvesting is done by hand in small crates. From his experience in the cooperage business, Bruno can select which barrel would be the perfect match for each cuvée and their respective vintage. Of course, he remains a firm believer that oak should never stand out in his wines. The resulting wines are pure, elegant, possessing a beautiful finesse and the subtleties characteristic of their specific terroir.
