Mercurey Blanc Premier Cru, Les Veleys, Domaine Francois Raquillet, 2021

Widely considered the best producer of the village (and among the leaders of the region), Francois has been harvesting his 12ha (8 planted to red and 4 to white) of increasingly old vines, some 70 years+, at the end of August for the last six years so is far less concerned by climate change than many Côte d’Or growers to the north. In fact the Chalonnais has been a beneficiary of the hotter, drier weather as it has helped reduce yields, and increase concentration and ripeness in the grapes, ultimately leading to richer, more gourmand, and delicious wines.