Domaine Theulot Juillot Mercurey 1er Cru Les Croichots 2021

Les Croichots sits directly adjacent to Les Combins, but despite being mere metres apart, the former’s soils veer to a combination of meagre blue marl on the upper slopes and more complex, thickish, stony, red clay that starts mid-way down. Theulot Juillot farms four parcels in Les Croichots, covering 1.2 hectares. More aromatic than Les Combins at this stage, it’s a pulpy, fleshy, plummy Pinot packed with ripe, small red fruits, spice, and savoury depths. The intensity is impressive given the year, yet there is lovely balance and complexity topped off by a fine, lengthy close. An eminently affordable 1er Cru red Burgundy from a top Chalonnaise grower.