Beautiful pale golden color. The aroma has nuances of fresh butter and roasted almonds. In the mouth, the hardness of the terroir, reminiscent of flint, is clearly felt, and a refreshing feeling drifts. The pleasant aftertaste lasts for a long time. Single vineyard in the commune of Vergisson.
Clay-limestone soil, facing southeast, 370m above sea level, 6 degree slope, direct pressing, light settling. Oak barrels used for alcoholic fermentation and MLF. Aged in wooden barrels for 18 months. Lightly filtered after racking before bottling. No clarification. The history of this domaine began in 1987 when the owner, Olivier Meurlan, who studied winemaking in Jura and California, purchased and inherited the historic domaine "Domaine des Vieux Saint-Sorlin" in the Maconnais region, which has been in existence since the Middle Ages. The Maconnais 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 Maconnais region spray herbicides and harvest by hand, but Meurlan has never used chemical fertilizers or herbicides from the beginning to the present, and has frequently cultivated the fields. It is one of the few domaines that selects fully ripe and healthy grapes and harvests them by hand. Grapes grown on windy slopes are less susceptible to pests, so there is no need to spray pesticides. The grapes are harvested in small boxes to prevent damage before fermentation, and the grapes are sorted again on a selection table before quickly being placed in fermentation tanks for fermentation. 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 confirmed his position 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 had many aspiring winemakers, including Raphael, the fourth generation owner of Domaine Coche-Dury, visit him as trainees. In addition, Master of Wine Jasper Morris has introduced Olivier as one of the best winemakers representing the Macon region. Furthermore, in 2012, he established a new winery, Chateau des Cars, together 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.
[The unique character of the Mâcon region, according to Domaine Merlant]
● Mâcon-La Roche-Vineuse
...Minerality, saltiness, freshness
●Pouilly-Fuissé
...Long aftertaste, powerful, long-term aging type
●Saint-Veran
...Feminine, smooth, fruity