Iona Pinot Noir 2023 vs Mercurey Rouge Vieilles Vignes, Domaine François Raquillet 2022
Compare current tracked prices, stockists and core specifications. Iona Pinot Noir 2023 currently starts £0.01 lower.
| Availability | In stock | In stock |
|---|---|---|
| Best current price | £28.99 | £29.00 |
| Current stockists | 1 merchant | 1 merchant |
| Producer | Iona | Domaine François Raquillet |
| Style | Red | Red |
| Grape | Pinot Noir | Pinot Noir |
| Size | 750ml | 750ml |
| Where to buy |
Iona Pinot Noir 2023
Nestled at 420 m above sea level in the cool-climate Elgin Valley, Iona Winery produces some of South Africa’s finest Pinot Noir. Founded by Andrew Gunn, the estate benefits from a long growing season and ideal conditions for cool-climate viticulture, resulting in wines that are elegant, complex, and expressive of their terroir. Organic and biodynamic principles guide the vineyard management, ensuring healthy soils, minimal intervention, and natural pest control with a resident flock of geese. Iona Pinot Noir has gained recognition for its refined structure, vibrant acidity, and age-worthy potential, making it a standout among premium South African wines. Viticulture Iona employs organic practices across its vineyards, with minimal intervention during the growing season. Grapes are hand-harvested to ensure only the best fruit is selected for the wines. Winemaking Grapes are hand-harvested into small crates and spent overnight in a cold room. Extensive hand sorting is carried out prior to destemming, which is performed without crushing. The grapes undergo a cold soak for 5–7 days before natural fermentation in open-top fermenters. Gentle punch downs and pump overs are performed twice daily as required, with fermentation temperatures peaking at 28°C. The wine is then transferred to 300 L French oak barrels, where malolactic fermentation occurs (20% new oak, remainder in 2nd, 3rd, and 4th fill). Maturation lasts 15 months on the lees. Following barrel ageing, wines from Kroon and Beeskamp vineyards are blended 50/50 in stainless steel tanks and clarified naturally for two months before bottling. Tasting Note The wine is perfumed with a floral nose of rose petals, black and red cherries, strawberries, and subtle spice. On the palate it is textured, succulent, and complex, with vibrant acidity and fine-grained, chalky tannins, culminating in a long, savoury finish. A classic, focused Pinot Noir with excellent ageing potential. Food Matching Pairs beautifully with Beef Bo
Mercurey Rouge Vieilles Vignes, Domaine François Raquillet 2022
Who is the greatest, under-the-radar producer in Burgundy? There are a handful of growers in the Côte-d'Or who might deserve that title, but looking further south to Mercurey, one Domaine that is crafting incredible, thought-provoking wines is Francois Raquillet. With scores that rank alongside a top producer's Côte-d'Or 1er Crus, these are wines that merit a place in any serious Burgundy lover's cellar. Features as one of the Top 10 Côte Chalonnaise Producers in Tim Atkin's Burgundy 2022 Special Report. 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 frankly much better wines.
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