2022 Olivier Merlin Pouilly-Fuissé Clos de France Premier Cru

The estate of Olivier and Corinne Merlin is located in the predestined village of Roche-Vineuse (literally: wine rock!) in the Mâconnais region. Burgundy, Mâcon and Beaujolais form the core range of the estate. Olivier studied oenology in Beaune and then worked as a cellar master in the Jura, where he met his wife Corinne. In 1985 he left for the Californian Napa Valley to vinify two vintages. At the beginning of 1987 he took over the 4.5 ha Domaine du Vieux Saint-Sortin. The old and dilapidated estate had been in the hands of the same family since 1750. Since then, the successful rise of Olivier and Corinne seems unstoppable. Olivier combines old wine wisdom, sharp observation and hard work in the vineyards, with modern technology. An indispensable part of his philosophy is to leave a cleared and ploughed vineyard fallow for 4-5 years. No synthetic pesticides or fertilisers are used, in Moulin-à-Vent they even work the vineyards with old-fashioned horsepower. No trendy nonsense, just pure old-fashioned common sense. The result can be summarised in four words: Balance, Purity, Complexity and Harmony

The Merlin Clos de France Premier Cru was only released for the first time in the 2018 vintage. The Chardonnay vineyard was planted in 1965 and 1985, so they are quite old vines with a low yield. The steep vineyard (15%) has an eastern location and has a chalky slate soil. The Clos de France has grandmothers of pear, green apple and fresh bread and in the mouth this Pouilly-Fuissé is medium to full-bodied with a satiny attack with perfect acidity. A maximum of around 1,800 bottles of this great wine are made, so it is definitely a collector's item.