2022 Philippe le Hardi Santenay Mercurey Les Puillets 1er Cru

Château de Santenay is one of the largest wine estates in Burgundy. The imposing castle dates back to the 9th century and was owned by Philippe le Hardi, Duke of Burgundy, for part of the 14th century. He was the one who wrote a decree that formed the basis of monovarietal wine growing in Burgundy, which resulted in the use of Pinot Noir instead of Gamay.

Château Philippe le Hardi owns 98 hectares of vineyards spread over the Côte d'Or and the Côte Chalonnaise. In total, they make wine in 14 appellations, including Mercurey, Aloxe-Corton, Santenay, Pommard and Saint-Aubin. This large distribution over the area gives an enormous diversity of subclimates and soil compositions, and thus the opportunity to capture the different characters and styles of Burgundy in their wines. Attention to the environment and the preservation of healthy vineyards has been central to the philosophy of the house for over 20 years. The château has been Terra Vitis certified since 2004 and is constantly looking for new ways to work as naturally as possible.

Until mid-2021, the name of the domain was 'Château de Santenay'. Due to a change in legislation in Burgundy in 2021, the name of the Santenay appellation is no longer permitted as a domain name. Therefore, the name has been changed to 'Château Philippe le Hardi'.

In the glass, the Château de Santenay Mercurey Les Puillets 1er Cru has a garnet-red color with a light purple glow. In the nose, the wine has a nice balance between ripe red fruit such as blackberries and blueberries and the influence of wood aging translates into the scent of laurel and sweet herbs. The tannins are present, but already nicely ripened. The taste is aromatic and rich, with an intensity and a length that you may expect from a wine of this level.