Pouilly Fuisse
Pouilly-Fuissé is the most distinguished wine appellation in the Mâconnais, making rich, full-bodied white Burgundy from Chardonnay in four communes: Chaintré, Fuissé, Solutré-Pouilly and Vergisson. There is a move afoot to consider classifying individual vineyard sites. Since arriving in the Mâconnais in 1987, Olivier and Corinne Merlin have become among the region’s most respected producers.
Learn more about Pouilly Fuisse
Pouilly-Fuissé is the most distinguished wine appellation in the Mâconnais, making rich, full-bodied white Burgundy from Chardonnay in four communes: Chaintré, Fuissé, Solutré-Pouilly and Vergisson. There is a move afoot to consider classifying individual vineyard sites.
Since arriving in the Mâconnais in 1987, Olivier and Corinne Merlin have become among the region’s most respected producers. After 10 years, they began buying Pouilly-Fuissé grapes, and now make three different cuvées each vintage.Pouilly-Fuissé should not be confused with Pouilly-Fumé or Pouilly-sur-Loire in the Loire Valley that produce wines from Sauvignon Blanc.
Prices:
Bottle
£24.50
Bottle 12 x 75cl124cs
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.
Bottle
£27.95
Bottle 6 x 75cl156cs
Bottle 6 x 75cl2cs
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.
Bottle
£27.95
Bottle 6 x 75cl108cs
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.
Bottle
£28.50
Bottle 6 x 75cl46cs
Jasper Morris MW, Burgundy Wine Director
Olivier and Corinne Merlin have been running their small domaine in the village of La Roche Vineuse for 25 years now, with superb attention to detail in the vineyards enabling them to make outstanding wines year in, year out. For Olivier, 2012 is a beautifully balanced vintage, with natural alcohol levels between 12.5% and 13.5%, and while yields are on the low side, the picture is much less catastrophic than in the Côte de Beaune. Olivier has been cutting back on the new wood, with most cuvées now receiving between 10 and 20%.
Bottle
£28.50
Bottle 6 x 75cl29cs
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.
Bottle
£29.00
Bottle 6 x 75cl88cs
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.
Bottle
£29.95
Jasper Morris MW - Wine Buyer
The Bret Brothers began picking in August, the grapes being sugar ripe yet still retaining some acidity. They had finished by 7th September. These days the grapes are crushed before pressing, a technique which has sadly died out at most domaines, but adds texture and enhances the stability of the wines. The three Pouilly-Vinzelles wines are part of the Brets’ own Domaine de la Soufrandière, farmed biodynamically since they returned to the property in 2000.
Bottle
£29.95
Bottle 12 x 75cl24cs
Bottle 12 x 75cl1cs
Jasper Morris, MW - Wine Buyer
Poor spring with difficult flowering, though this varied from one vineyard to another. Old vines suffered worse. The reds were later to flower, with better results, and for the first time were picked after the whites, which needed to be harvested quickly before rot set in. The balance of the whites has ended up quite similar to 2012, with the same acidity but the fruit more exuberant in style. One technical note on quality: Olivier presses his whites for much longer now, which intensifies the dry extract and will preserve longevity.
Bottle
£29.95
Bottle 6 x 75cl2cs
Jasper Morris, MW - Wine Buyer
Poor spring with difficult flowering, though this varied from one vineyard to another. Old vines suffered worse. The reds were later to flower, with better results, and for the first time were picked after the whites, which needed to be harvested quickly before rot set in. The balance of the whites has ended up quite similar to 2012, with the same acidity but the fruit more exuberant in style. One technical note on quality: Olivier presses his whites for much longer now, which intensifies the dry extract and will preserve longevity.
Bottle
£29.95
Bottle 6 x 75cl9cs
Bottle
£30.00
Bottle 6 x 75cl18cs
Château des Quarts in Pouilly-Fuissé is a monopole site, with a large percentage of old vines going back to 1917, regarded as the appellation’s best terroir. Since 2012, the property has been in the hands of Olivier Merlin (“the wizard of the Mâconnais”) and Dominique Lafon (perhaps one of the best white winemakers in the world).
Very graceful on the nose, this has a sense of real class with some luxurious, opulent notes pushing through. It has the typically sunny feeling of wines from Chaintré and there is huge weight through the middle, backed up by some classy and well integrated oak. This is seriously delicious wine with exceptional weight behind.
Bottle
£39.95
Bottle 6 x 75cl116cs
Jasper Morris MW, Wine Buyer
Olivier Merlin chose to harvest the Clos des Quarts before his own vines, on 29th and 30th August, starting each day at dawn and finishing at lunchtime so as not to pick during the heat of the day. As the note shows, this policy has paid off. Yields were acceptable but the fine late summer weather has concentrated the juice admirably.
Bottle
£42.00
Bottle 6 x 75cl340cs
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.
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?
Bottle 6 x 75cl2cs
Bottle 6 x 75cl1cs
Bottle 6 x 75cl1cs
Will Heslop - Buyer
Bottle 12 x 75cl1cs
Jasper Morris MW, Berrys' Burgundy Director Olivier has produced a great range of wines this year. He resisted the temptation to pick too early because his superbly managed vines were still nourishing the grapes well into September. Over the last few years he has upgraded the cellar facilities and this, along with his superb barrel cellar, permits ageing the top cuvées in wood for a second winter. This completes the picture of a vigneron at the top of his game, acknowledged as one of the leaders in the Mâconnais.
Our 2015 Pouilly-Fuissé provides a sunshine Chardonnay from the rolling hills of this famous appellation. Intense, ripe, white fruit blossom dominates the nose, revealing a succulent palate behind, balanced by a fine thread of mineral acidity. This is a wine which will stand up to richer sauces with fish or poultry.