--- title: "Mercurey Wine Tasting: Côte Chalonnaise Reds" description: "The largest vineyard of the Côte Chalonnaise, mostly red Pinot Noir from 32 premier crus, below a ruined castle. Private driver from Beaune in 35 min." url: https://www.cote-privee.com/villages/mercurey lang: en updated: 2026-09-29 generated: 2026-10-08 image: https://www.cote-privee.com/og/villages/mercurey.png --- # Mercurey > Mercurey: the largest vineyard of the Côte Chalonnaise, known above all for its reds. Mercurey is a wine village (Côte Chalonnaise), 35 min by road (27 km) from Beaune. Red and white wines · 32 premiers crus · Private driver from Beaune: €105 one way for the whole car, up to 4 guests. Mercurey stretches along a valley west of Chalon-sur-Saône, about 35 minutes from Beaune. It is the biggest vineyard of the Côte Chalonnaise and makes mostly red wine from Pinot Noir. Above the village, the hamlet of Touches and the ruins of Montaigu castle look out over the vines. ## Key facts - Type: Wine village - Region: Côte Chalonnaise - Location: 25 km south-west of Beaune · Côte Chalonnaise - Coordinates: 46.8333, 4.7216 - 35 min from Beaune - Red and white wines - 32 premiers crus - Appellations: Mercurey - Grapes: Pinot Noir, Chardonnay - From Beaune: ≈ 35 min · 27 km - €360 for a [half-day wine tour](https://www.cote-privee.com/wine-tours/half-day) plus one hour, from Beaune, up to 4 guests ## Getting there - [Private driver from Beaune](https://www.cote-privee.com/private-driver): 35 min by road (27 km), €105 one way for the whole car. Coming by train or plane? [Transfers from stations and airports](https://www.cote-privee.com/transfers) Estimates per vehicle for up to 4 guests, tolls included. Your price is confirmed when you book. ## History Mercurey stood on an important Roman road, and Roman tiles and pottery have been found here. Around 950 the Count of Chalon built the castle of Montaigu on a 332-metre hill for the Duke of Burgundy, to guard against raids from the west and watch the Roman road from Lyon to Paris by way of Chalon and Autun. The castle became the seat of a ducal castellany, the local district of the Dukes of Burgundy. In 1591, during the Wars of Religion, troops of the Catholic League took the castle, and Henri IV later had it dismantled. From 1803 its ruins served as a stone quarry until 1823. Mercurey wine was already prized in the 14th century: in 1371 the Duke of Burgundy bought a large quantity of it at Montaigu. The appellation dates from 1936, and in 1971 Mercurey merged with neighbouring Bourgneuf-Val-d'Or. ## The wines Mercurey makes red and white wines on two communes, Mercurey and Saint-Martin-sous-Montaigu, with 32 premiers crus. Most of the production is red Pinot Noir, with a smaller share of Chardonnay. The soils mix marls and marly limestones of Oxfordian age, white limey soils and red clays. The reds are deeper in colour and fuller than many of their neighbours, with notes of cherry and spice. The whites are fresh, with apple and mineral tones. **Well-known premiers crus (32 premiers crus)**: Clos des Myglands, Le Clos du Roy, Clos Marcilly, Les Velley, Le Clos l'Évêque, Les Champs Martin ## What to see ### Mercurey themed trail A 7.4 km loop of about two hours with around ten information panels. It passes the Sainte-Vierge statue and its viewing table, the church at Touches and the Montaigu ruins. ### Touches This hamlet above Mercurey keeps a Romanesque church with wide views over the vineyards. The ruins of Montaigu castle stand nearby, on private land that is closed to visitors. ### Château de Germolles At Mellecey, between Mercurey and Givry, this 14th-century château is one of the best-preserved residences of the Dukes of Burgundy. The house is shown on guided tours, and the park can be visited on your own. ## Good to know Mercurey sits between Rully and Givry, so it fits easily into a Côte Chalonnaise loop. Allow two hours if you want to walk the themed trail, then taste in the village. ## Did you know? Mercurey owes its name to a temple of the god Mercury, raised here in Roman times. A carving of Sucellus, a Gaulish god holding a mallet, is still set into a house front. ## Around Mercurey What to combine with Mercurey on the same day, nearest first. ### Villages - [Rully](https://www.cote-privee.com/villages/rully) (5 km away): Crisp whites, supple reds and a cradle of Burgundy's sparkling wine, below a medieval château. - [Givry](https://www.cote-privee.com/villages/givry) (6 km away): A small wine town of 18th-century monuments, whose red wine is linked by legend to Henri IV. - [Bouzeron](https://www.cote-privee.com/villages/bouzeron) (6 km away): A tiny village with a unique claim: the only village appellation for Aligoté. ### Châteaux - [Château de Montaigu](https://www.cote-privee.com/chateaux/chateau-de-montaigu) (1 km away): The ruined hilltop stronghold of the lords of Montaigu, above the vineyards of Mercurey. - [Château de Chamirey](https://www.cote-privee.com/chateaux/chateau-de-chamirey) (1 km away): An elegant 18th-century wine château in Mercurey, at the heart of a 37-hectare family estate. - [Château de Germolles](https://www.cote-privee.com/chateaux/chateau-de-germolles) (4 km away): The best-preserved residence of the Valois dukes of Burgundy, a country palace made for a duchess. - [Château de Rully](https://www.cote-privee.com/chateaux/chateau-de-rully) (4 km away): A medieval fortress above its own vineyard, still lived in by descendants of its first lords. - [Château de Chamilly](https://www.cote-privee.com/chateaux/chateau-de-chamilly) (5 km away): A classical château in a green valley, cradle of the Bouton de Chamilly family and a wine estate. ### Things to do - [Antonin Rodet](https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/antonin-rodet-mercurey) (1 km away): A Mercurey wine house founded in 1875, with a tasting cellar in the stables of a 17th-century mansion. - [Maison André Delorme](https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/maison-andre-delorme-rully) (5 km away): A Rully house founded in 1942 that helped create Crémant de Bourgogne, with vaulted cellars cut into the rock. - [Southern Burgundy Greenway (Voie Verte de Bourgogne du Sud)](https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/voie-verte-givry-cluny), 6 km away: A car-free cycle path on an old railway line, running from the Givry vineyards to Cluny. - [Maison Chanzy](https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/maison-chanzy-bouzeron) (6 km away): A Bouzeron estate founded in 1928, with the appellation's only monopole and a second cellar in Puligny-Montrachet. ### Restaurants - [Maison Lameloise](https://www.cote-privee.com/restaurants/maison-lameloise-chagny) (9 km away · 3 MICHELIN stars): Burgundy's only three-star table, in a former coaching inn twenty minutes south of Beaune. - [Cédric Burtin](https://www.cote-privee.com/restaurants/cedric-burtin-saint-remy) (11 km away · 2 MICHELIN stars): Two stars in a converted mill on the southern edge of Chalon-sur-Saône. - [Ed.Em](https://www.cote-privee.com/restaurants/ed-em-chassagne-montrachet) (12 km away · 1 MICHELIN star): A starred couple's table in the heart of Montrachet country, with 600 wines to match ### Guides about Mercurey - [Burgundy’s grape varieties](https://www.cote-privee.com/guides/burgundy-grape-varieties) - [Burgundy wine classification](https://www.cote-privee.com/guides/burgundy-wine-classification) - [Wine tour itineraries from Beaune](https://www.cote-privee.com/guides/burgundy-wine-tour-itineraries) ## Questions about Mercurey ### How far is Mercurey from Beaune? Mercurey is about 35 min from Beaune by road (27 km). With a private driver, the trip from Beaune starts at €105 for the whole car, up to 4 guests. ### What wines is Mercurey known for? Mercurey makes mostly red wines under these appellations: Mercurey. It has 32 premiers crus. Its best-known premiers crus include Clos des Myglands, Le Clos du Roy, Clos Marcilly. ### Can you taste wine in Mercurey? Yes. Many domaines in Mercurey receive visitors, usually by appointment. On a wine tour your driver plans the route and helps you book the tastings, which you pay directly to the domaines. ### Can a private driver take us to Mercurey? Yes. Your driver collects you in Beaune or at your hotel in an electric Polestar 2 (up to 4 guests), waits while you visit and plans the rest of the day with you. The driver speaks English, French, Mandarin Chinese and Arabic. → [Half-day wine tour plus one hour, €360](https://www.cote-privee.com/wine-tours/half-day) ## Book - [Book a driver here](https://www.cote-privee.com/book?service=wine-tour&option=half&place=village:mercurey): Half-day wine tour plus one hour from Beaune: €360 for the car, up to 4 guests ## Sources - - - - --- Canonical page: