Pale golden color. Rich aroma reminiscent of tropical fruits. Volume and acidity are in perfect harmony, and La Roche Vineuse's characteristic minerality is well felt in the mouth. You can enjoy the fresh fruitiness even when young. Whole bunches are pressed directly. Alcoholic fermentation and MLF are performed in stainless steel tanks. After 15 months of élevage, it is lightly filtered and bottled. It is not clarified. The history of this domaine began in 1987 when the owner, Olivier Meuran, who learned winemaking in Jura and California, purchased and inherited the historic domaine "Domaine des Vieux Saint-Sorlin" in the Maconnais region, which has been in operation since the Middle Ages. The Maconnais region is higher in altitude than the Cote d'Or, and the steeply sloping fields are characterized by strong winds. In the Macon region, 95% of producers spray herbicides and harvest mechanically, but Merlan is one of the few domaines that has never used chemical fertilizers or herbicides since the beginning, frequently tills the fields, and selects and harvests fully ripe and healthy grapes by hand. Grapes grown on windy slopes are less likely to attract pests, so there is no need to spray pesticides. The grapes are harvested in small boxes to avoid damaging them before fermentation, and the grapes are selected again on a selection table, then quickly placed in tanks and fermented. Chardonnay is whole-cluster pressed, and Pinot Noir is 100% destemmed (Gamay is whole-cluster fermented). Complete malolactic fermentation, no collage, and bottled with no or minimal filtration. Olivier, who carefully makes wine by hand, has established himself as a leader among high-quality wineries in the Macon region. Olivier has known the region well since long before winemakers from the Côte d'Or entered the Maconnais region, and many aspiring winemakers, including Raphael, the fourth generation owner of Domaine Coche-Dury, came to him as trainees. Master of Wine Jasper Morris also introduced Olivier as one of the best winemakers representing the Maconnais region. In 2012, he also established a new winery, Chateau des Cars, with Dominique, the owner of Comte Lafon, a top Meursault domaine. His two sons, Theo and Paul, are now also involved in the domaine, and expectations are high for further improvements in quality in the future. [About the establishment of Premier Cru in Pouilly-Fuissé]
In 2020, INAO created the Premier Cru of Pouilly-Fuisse for the first time.
Of the total 800 hectares of Pouilly-Fuissé, 190 hectares and 22 climats are approved.
At Merlan, five vineyards have been promoted to Premier Cru: Soules-la-Roche and Clos de France in the northern Vergisson area, Au Vigneres in the Solutre-Pouilly area in the central north, and Clos des Carles and Chevrières in the southern Chantres area. Starting with the 2020 vintage, five types of wine have been promoted to Premier Cru.