As Burgundy becomes ever more expensive, thankfully Chalonnais winemakers in the
south have risen to the challenge of fulfilling the need for more affordable,
delicious wines. François Raquillet, an 11th generation grower in Mercurey, is
widely recognised as the best producer in the village and one of the leaders in
the region generally. He has 11 hectares of superbly sited, mostly old, vines
and believes in low yields, mature (rather than super-ripe) fruit and a severe
selection at the table de tri. The Wine Advocate’s William Kelley is certainly a
fan, saying Francois “delivers generous, gourmand wines that are succulent and
pleasure-bent but also possess levels of complexity and depth that distinguishes
them from many of their peers.” Our tasting of his 2018s was a real pleasure
(and not just because arriving in Mercurey the sun finally came out after two
days of sold rain!). Both whites and reds here offered impressive texture,
freshness and verve alongside fruit at once deep and crunchy and with a lithe
spine of acidity, all promising further development. There is a lot of wine here
for the money and whether beginning a collection or wishing to augment grander,
more expensive purchases, a few cases should be in every cellar.

There is an immediate richness to the nose, which is nutty, and full of yellow
fruits, with a touch of butter and honey, but then developing a smoky, stony
whiff. Racy palate, crunchy mineral drive, this really comes out of the blocks
impressively, delivering bite and zest to back the riper stone fruits that sit
on the mid-palate. Really very good indeed. Tom, Wine Guru

92/100, Tim Atkin MW