}

Domaine Merlin

Domaine Merlin Pouilly-Fuissé 1er Cru Au Vignerais 2021

  • Sale
  • Regular price ¥9,020
Tax included. Shipping calculated at checkout.


*Since this item is sourced from a cooperating importer, it may take 1-2 business days longer than usual to ship.

The nose is complex, with delicate and fresh aromas of yellow fruits. Millelandage grapes give the wine a rich and full-bodied style.

On the palate, the wine is well balanced with fine acidity and a texture similar to hard water. The finish is long and pleasantly bitter. Au Vigneret is located on the southern slope of the Solutré hill at an altitude of 300m. The light, stony soil here warms up quickly in the spring.

This 0.34ha plot was taken over by Olivier's sons Theo and Paul at the end of 2017. It has been attracting attention for producing particularly excellent wines in Pouilly-Fuissé, including being classified as Premier Cru in 2020. In order to preserve tradition and taking into account the age of the vines, the grapes are cultivated with great strictness. All fields are tilled and no herbicides are used. The grapes are pressed directly without destemming, and lightly settled in stainless steel tanks. Wooden barrels are used for alcoholic fermentation and MLF.

The wine is aged in wooden barrels with the lees for 18 months, then in stainless steel tanks for 2-3 months. After racking, it is lightly filtered before bottling. It is not clarified. The history of this domaine began in 1987 when the owner, Olivier Meurlan, who learned winemaking in Jura and California, purchased and inherited the historic Domaine "Domaine des Vieux Saint-Sorlin", which has been in existence since the Middle Ages in the Macon region. The Macon region is higher in altitude than the Cote d'Or, and the fields on the steep slopes are characterized by strong winds. 95% of producers in the Macon region spray herbicides and harvest mechanically, but Meurlan is one of the few Domaines that has never used chemical fertilizers or herbicides from the beginning to the present, and frequently tills the fields, selecting healthy grapes that are fully ripe and harvested 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 then quickly put into tanks for fermentation after being sorted again on a selection table. Chardonnay is whole-cluster pressed, Pinot Noir is 100% destemmed (Gamay is whole-cluster fermented). Full malolactic fermentation, no collage, no filtering or minimal filtering before bottling. Olivier, who makes wines by hand, has established himself as a leader among high-quality wineries in the Maconnais region. Olivier, who knows the area well long before the winemakers of the Côte d'Or entered the Maconnais region, has been the trainee of many winemakers, including Raphael, the fourth generation owner of Domaine Coche-Dury. Master of Wine Jasper Morris also introduces Olivier as one of the best winemakers representing the Maconnais region. In 2012, he established a new winery, Chateau des Cars, together with Mr. Dominique, the owner of the top Meursault domaine Comte Lafon. His two sons, Theo and Paul, are now also involved in the domaine, and expectations are high for further improvements in quality. [About the establishment of Premier Cru in Pouilly-Fuisse]

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.