Pouilly Fuisse

The fruit for our Pouilly-Fuissé comes from a number of excellent vineyards across the villages of Vergisson and Chaintré. Olivier Merlin’s skilful winemaking draws together the various elements to create a wine which offers generous peach and apricot flavours, underpinned by a crystalline thread of electric acidity, and rounded out by smoky oak and a satisfying, stony finish. An ideal partner for salmon quiche or cheese soufflé. 
Adam Bruntlett, Wine Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd

This is a powerful, concentrated Pouilly-Fuissé, from our friends Françoise and Nicolas Melin. There’s a touch of reduction on the nose which quickly blows off to reveal aromas of stone-fruit, toasty oak and a hint of honey. Already balanced and complex, it will only improve with time – on a recent visit to the domaine, we were treated to the superb 2013 (still fresh as a daisy). Drink now to 2023.
Will Heslop, Buying Assistant (summer 2019)

The fruit is mostly from 75- to 80-year-old vines in the village of Fuissé. These south-facing plots are chalky but also reach high temperatures in the summer. The wine is broad-shouldered and powerful, yet with spine-tingling acidity. Packed with ripe peach, apricot and a flinty mineral feel, this is weighty without being clumsy. Drink 2020-2024.
Adam Bruntlett, Burgundy Buyer

Olivier and Corinne Merlin have been established in the Mâconnais village of La Roche Vineuse since 1987. Over the years they have bought the domaine which they originally rented, built a new cuverie, planted new vineyards locally and spread out into further appellations such as Pouilly-Fuissé and Moulin-à-Vent. Theirs has been one of the great success stories of the modern Mâconnais. They expect to be joined shortly by sons Théo and Paul. Having made his first wines in 1987, this year represents Olivier’s 30th vintage in La Roche Vineuse. It is fair to say that in this time he has contributed much to raising standards in the Mâconnais. Proof of his great skill as a winemaker came in the form of a bottle of 1990 Mâcon La Roche Vineuse Vieilles Vignes, a highlight of a lunch at Berry Bros. & Rudd in July to mark Jasper Morris’s retirement.

This comes from two parcels of 60-year-old vines in cooler sites in Vergisson. Having been hit by hail, the yield here was a modest 35hl/ha, adding an extra layer of concentration. It does not, however, lack freshness. This fine-boned wine is defined by its acidity and gorgeous orange-blossom aromas. Drink 2020-2026.
Adam Bruntlett, Burgundy Buyer

Food match: lobster

These old vines are situated in the village of Fuissé, renowned for its broad-shouldered style of wine. The plots face south and have lots of chalk in the soil, giving ripeness and freshness. Olivier explains that the old vines coped well with the drought conditions, giving a powerful wine which maintains a fresh, mineral core. Excellent. Drink 2021-2026.

Olivier is taking many steps to counteract the warmer summers and earlier harvests; managing the canopy to protect grapes from sunburn, using late-ripening rootstocks, reducing the amount of new oak he uses to keep the wines feeling fresher, and bringing harvest dates forward to retain acidity. The 2017 crop is around 15 percent down due to the dry summer which stressed the grapes. Picking began on 27th August and Olivier feels the wines are a little richer than 2016, but still with very good balance and well-integrated oak.

When the Premier Cru classification finally arrives, this will be the highest-altitude Premier Cru at over 300 metres above sea-level. Spicy and rich but very elegant too, the fruit is restrained, succulent citrus, and the overall feel is one of energy and tension. Simply gorgeous, this complete wine is an elegant expression of Fuissé with austerity and precision. Drink 2021-2027.

A likely Premier Cru vineyard, Au Vignerais is cool at 350 metres’ altitude, but the shallow soils and sunny exposition give both freshness and richness. Ripe yellow apples give a fresh front to the palate, which broadens out into oily spice then finishes on a tensile, saline note. Drink 2020-2026.

The Bret brothers described 2017 as another warm and early vintage, with harvest beginning on the 26th August. They picked early compared to many of their peers, Jean-Philippe explaining that maturity came very quickly. Their decision to bring the grapes in quickly, along with their organic and biodynamic viticulture, has resulted in wonderfully fresh wines. In the cellar they are experimenting with lower levels of sulphur during the winemaking process, with the aim of obtaining full fruit and terroir expression in their wines.

This vineyard’s cool location on top of the Roche de Vergisson, facing east, means it is always an elegant and fresh expression of Pouilly-Fuissé. The nose has spicy oak and smoky reduction, leading into a citrus palate which has a youthful bitterness that leaves you wanting another sip. Drink 2020-2025.

The Bret brothers described 2017 as another warm and early vintage, with harvest beginning on the 26th August. They picked early compared to many of their peers, Jean-Philippe explaining that maturity came very quickly. Their decision to bring the grapes in quickly, along with their organic and biodynamic viticulture, has resulted in wonderfully fresh wines. In the cellar they are experimenting with lower levels of sulphur during the winemaking process, with the aim of obtaining full fruit and terroir expression in their wines.

The fear with removing the oldest vines from a blend is that the main bottling might suffer, but the average age of the other vines is still impressive at over 50 years old and the result is a wine of real intensity, with arguably more freshness, purity and elegance than usual. An ethereal and delicate expression of the clos. Drink 2020-2026.

Château des Quarts was created in 2012 by two of our favourite vignerons, Dominique Lafon and Olivier Merlin, who are old friends. The vineyard is managed by Olivier and the wine made in his facility at La Roche Vineuse. This monopole vineyard of 2.23 hectares in Chaintré is surrounded by a high stone wall, facing east, overlooking the Saône valley. The 2017 vintage saw the 100-year anniversary of the planting of the oldest parcel of vines in the Clos des Quarts. The key to their longevity is riparia rootstock and an old-school training and pruning regime.

To celebrate the centenary, Dominique Lafon and Olivier Merlin, custodians of the special property and vineyard, have decided to bottle the wine made from these ancient vines separately. Production is 10 barrels, equating to just 1,500 magnums, which are offered in individual wooden cases.

Primrose in colour, this has an immediately pleasing, floral nose. With lively, generous fruit, there is plenty of energy here; very good weight at the back of the palate and a perfectly judged fruit- acid balance, leading to a fine quality finish. Drink 2019-2022.
Jasper Morris MW, Wine Buyer

Olivier, who normally picks after his neighbours, was out harvesting before them this year, starting at the end of August. The hot, dry wind in that period really concentrated both the sugars and the acidity in the grapes. Everything ripened rapidly so Olivier made sure to privilege his best terroirs, and completed the harvest in five fewer days than usual. 

Its pure, translucent colour heralds a very noble nose, which delivers a real sense of class. Truly intense and very smartly balanced, this is both long and pure. Its abundant minerals tingle the tongue. This is a brilliant, glorious wine.

This is the third vintage at this joint venture, and the best to date. Olivier and Dominique are now able to run the vineyards absolutely as they wish, to excellent effect, and indeed a new block on the plateau (alongside the château) has now been planted. All that remains is to restore the building itself… Any volunteers?

The Vieilles Vignes cuvée was formerly known as Terroir de Fuissé. This is the heartland of Pouilly- Fuissé, delivering the richest wines of the appellation – as this bottling shows. It has lovely weight, with classical, dense white fruit, fine balancing acidity and a succulent finish.

Olivier concurs with the view that 2014 is a top vintage for white wines. The weather was good throughout the harvest, so he was able to pick each vineyard at a time of his choosing. There has also been some evolution within the range, with the introduction of an excellent new cuvée, Pouilly-Fuissé, Les Chevrières.

The opposite side of the coin to Chatenay, Au Vignerais produces a much broader, more masculine style thanks to its red clay soils and the vines’ tendency to produce small, concentrated berries. Only two barrels were made this year. Almost golden, it is rich, dense and spicy, with pleasing minerality. Drink 2020-2025.
Adam Bruntlett, Burgundy Buyer

Grandfather Bret bought this property in Vinzelles in 1947. In 2000 Jean-Philippe and Jean-Guillaume Bret took their vineyards out of the local co-operative and established Domaine de la Soufrandière with four hectares of vines in Pouilly-Vinzelles. They also have a négociant business, Bret Brothers. Their vines are, mostly, on a perfectly situated eastfacing slope of Vinzelles called Les Quarts, on Bajocian limestone with a high silica/quartz content. They are organic and biodynamic. The Bret brothers dub 2016 a “vigneron’s vintage”, which is to say that the key was to be in the vines. The hail on 13th April did significant damage but hard work in the vineyards (spraying biodynamic treatments from a backpack) paid off and ensured quality fruit. The Brets have added new vineyards in St Véran and Pouilly-Fuissé to the Soufrandière domaine, thus the whole range we buy is now from estate-grown fruit.

Favourite Newcomer
A new joint venture from two of the top names in the White Burgundy business – Olivier Merlin and Dominique Lafon – this is benchmark Pouilly-Fuisse. Concentrated yellow fruit on the nose, with a saline minerality and fresh streak at the heart of the wine. A very fine effort for this debut vintage.
Fergus Stewart, Private Account Manager

This debut vintage – a small crop, but not ridiculously so – is exceptionally promising. There is a superb wealth of flavour, very graceful, yet also with muscle. Behind there is a steely backbone with superb length and real style. This will become a reference point for Pouilly-Fuissé.
Jasper Morris MW, Burgundy Wine Director

This domaine was created in 2012 by two of our favourite vignerons, Dominique Lafon and Olivier Merlin, who are old friends. The vineyard is being managed by Olivier Merlin and the wine made in his facility at La Roche Vineuse. The Château des Quarts itself is in semi-ruined condition but, along with the vineyard, has a marvellous position at the top of the slope looking across the valley of the Saône towards the Alps. The vineyard of 2.25ha is enclosed by high stone walls and mostly planted with old vines. This is a very exciting addition to the Mâconnais scene.

The initial palate is discreet, before exploding with an enormous amount of concentration, plenty of mouthfilling volume and an extraordinary minerality which builds behind the dense fruit. The finish is long and satisfying, with a chewy, phenolic grip. This is a true one-off, a wine of enormous density, power and focus. Drink 2021-2032.

Château des Quarts was created in 2012 by two of our favourite vignerons, Dominique Lafon and Olivier Merlin, who are old friends. The vineyard is managed by Olivier and the wine made in his facility at La Roche Vineuse. This monopole vineyard of 2.23 hectares in Chaintré is surrounded by a high stone wall, facing east, overlooking the Saône valley.

The 2017 vintage saw the 100-year anniversary of the planting of the oldest parcel of vines in the Clos des Quarts. The key to their longevity is riparia rootstock and an old-school training and pruning regime. To celebrate the centenary, Dominique Lafon and Olivier Merlin, custodians of the special property and vineyard, have decided to bottle the wine made from these ancient vines separately. Production is 10 barrels, equating to just 1,500 magnums, which are offered in individual wooden cases.

The fruit for this wine now comes from a selection of well-situated old-vine parcels mostly in the village of Chaintré, giving a slightly fresher and more elegant style than in the past. The nose offers toasty oak and ripe white peach, while the palate is generous and spicy with a clean finish. Drink 2022-2027.

When the Premier Cru classification finally arrives, this will be the highest-altitude Premier Cru at over 300 metres above sea-level. A wine of real tension and energy, there’s an elegance that provides a pleasingly bitter, mineral finish, with touches of iodine and sea salt. Drink 2022-2028.

The Clos de France is just over a hectare in total, of which the Merlins have a quarter. This is a very special wine for Olivier, with a very individual character which makes it one of the outstanding vineyards of Pouilly. There is lots of noble reduction on the nose, while the palate has a thick texture, power, grip and zesty mandarin flavours. Incredible length with flinty reduction. Outstanding. Drink2023-2030.

A likely Premier Cru vineyard, Au Vignerais is cool at 350 metres’ altitude, but the shallow red soils and sunny, south-facing exposition give both freshness and richness. The nose has ripe white peach and a sunny feel, while the palate’s initial richness is tempered by an intensely chewy finish courtesy of millerand grapes. Drink 2021-2027.

This vineyard’s cool location on top of the Roche de Vergisson, facing east, means it is always an elegant and fresh expression of Pouilly-Fuissé. Half the wine was made in second-hand 300-litre barrels from Olivier Lamy. The nose has perfectly ripe fruit and a touch of struck-match reduction, while the palate is energetic and juicy with a citrus finish. Drink now to 2025.

From the very first nose, this wine is utterly charming, with exuberant fruit and an undercurrent of chalky minerals. The palate is at once creamy and stony, with real finesse and elegance courtesy of a saline, citrus acidity. What’s most impressive, however, is the level of detail, which is more than a match for many a grander name in the Côte de Beaune. Drink 2021-2028.