Domaine TUPINIER-BAUTISTAMercurey
“Mercurey at its most gourmand and seductive” William Kelley, Wine Advocate
Background
Manu Bautista, based in Mercurey in the Cote Chalonnaise, is an engaging man to taste with. A whirlwind of gestures, snorts, laughter, and general enthusiasm, it is clear he enjoys tasting and discussing his wines as much as making them. We have known Manu for several years and always enjoyed his wines, but it wasn’t until this year we were able to start working together. It was perfect timing – we started with 2018, the finest vintage he has made to date. People are really waking up to the quality here, including much of the wine press. Make sure to grab some of Manu’s 2018s while you can. They won’t last long!
The domaine has recently moved from cramped old cellars in the village to a beautiful modern winery surrounded by vines. The extra space and equipment have enabled further refinements to wine making; it’s a mark of Manu’s character that he also built a swimming pool outside his tasting room. However it is Manu’s attention and skill in the vineyard which is really driving quality. Everything is hand harvested, and the grapes are destemmed before a 15 day fermentation. The village and 1er Crus see a year in barrel. His wines are delicious, richly fruited, and exuberant with fine structure and plenty of energy, they drink at 3-5 years but continue to improve in the cellar for longer.
In the words of the Wine Advocate’s William Kelley “supple, fragrant reds bursting with vibrant fruit that entirely conceals their velvety tannins… in short, Bautista is one of a small handful of producers that demonstrate just what is possible when Mercurey’s terroirs are lavished with the same attention devoted to their more famous Côte d’Or counterparts.”
Current Vintages
| Red Wines | Vintage |
|---|---|
| Bourgogne Rouge [Read More] 100% in barrel, but no new wood, for ten months before blending then two months in vat before bottling. Ripe yet savoury raspberry and black cherry fruit, good concentration and fine tannins. Pleasingly rustic, lots of extract and presence for a Bourgogne and a sappy freshness on the finish. Great value. 2022+ | 2019 |
| Mercurey Vieilles Vignes [Read More] A single plot of old vines growing on a south east facing slope. Perfumed dark cherry and a touch of mint. Mouth filling attack, layers of sweet dark fruit, good freshness and shape, quite taut, a sense of sap in the grippy structure. Lots of exuberant potential here. 2022+
“Manu Bautista's 2018 Mercurey Vieilles Vignes has turned out very well, offering up an inviting bouquet of smoky cherry and raspberry fruit mingled with raw cocoa, sweet soil tones and a deft framing of oak. Medium to full-bodied, deep and layered, it's succulent and concentrated, built around lively acids and powdery tannins. While 2018 is an inherently muscular vintage and this will benefit from a few years in the cellar, it's rendered with such elegance as to be approachable young.”
William Kelley Wine Advocate June 2020
“This is only a village red, albeit one from 35 to 50-year-old vines, but it's wonderfully crunchy, fresh and elegant, showing racy acidity, bright black cherry and raspberry fruit and a sheen of 20% new wood. Fantastic value. Drinking Window 2022 – 2028”
Tim Atkin MW Decanter Magazine January 2020 | 2019 |
| Mercurey Clos du Touches [Read More] From a single walled vineyard with rich, deep soil. Cassis and mulberry, utterly delicious nose. Cool yet rich, ripe dark fruit, pure, pleasing, with fine structure and a charcoal note on the finish. This will drink well young on its fruit, just lovely. 2021+ | 2019 |
| Mercurey 1er Cru Les Vellées Vieilles Vignes [Read More] “The 2018 Mercurey 1er Cru Les Vellées has also turned out beautifully, wafting from the glass with an inviting bouquet of red cherries, plums and cassis mingled with hints of violets and dark chocolate. Medium to full-bodied, deep and layered, its concentrated core of fruit is underpinned by powdery tannins and impressively lively acids that lend this Mercurey terrific energy.”
William Kelley Wine Advocate June 2020 | 2018 |
| Mercurey 1er Cru Sazenay [Read More] 50-year-old vines growing in poor soil. This is a fine example of how limestone adds an extra dimension. It heightens and adds lift on the nose with a floral scent and adds an intriguing saline edge to the fruit. | 2019 |
Image Gallery
Keep in touch
Sign up to hear the latest news and receive tasting invitations. Our monthly newsletter and weekly offers will give you up to date with our growers and team, as well as providing fantastic offers on the wines we import, without clogging your inbox with today’s deal of the century.