La Roche-Vineuse

The vines here are relatively young, having mostly been planted since Olivier and Corinne set up the domaine in the late 1980s. This youthful vigour gives the wine an impressive freshness and fruitforward approachability. Fermented and raised entirely in tank, this shows the purity and vibrancy of Chardonnay, with a pleasant citrus bitterness on the finish. Drink 2018-2020.
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.

Located in the south of Burgundy, the Mâconnais is an excellent source of good-value white wine, typically offering a sunnier and fruitier style of Burgundy. Olivier Merlin set up his domaine from scratch in the late 1980s with his wife, Corinne. He quickly established himself as one of the best winemakers in the region.

Vibrant pale lemon in colour, this wine sees between 10 and 15% new oak during the élevage, which serves to add a touch of complexity and breadth to the vibrant citrus fruit. There is excellent concentration and a focused, mineral purity which shines through. Drink now to 2022.

The name “Cras” comes from the word “Craie”, which translates directly as chalk or limestone. It’s therefore no surprise that there is a high active limestone content in the soil in this vineyard. This combined with the southwest exposition of the vineyard, gives wine which is a harmonious balance of ripe stone fruit and chalky mineral backbone. The 10 to 15 percent new oak is seamlessly integrated. Drink 2020-2025.
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.

Possibly our favourite wine from the whole of the Mâconnais, this is glowing with a pure, pale colour. Really intense ripe fruit – some pear, some ripe apple – lends this a firm, chiselled style. Some greengage fruit adds a lovely thread of cool acidity. Truly, it is hard to imagine how this could be better.

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.

A pale straw colour, this has impressive depth of flavour to the nose which is complex with white fruit and a little oak in the background. There is considerable weight on the palate with a tantalising toastiness and notable length. This cuvée has excellent ageing potential. Drink 2019-2024.
Jasper Morris MW, Wine Buyer

This is such a fine-boned, elegant wine, even in a warm vintage like 2015. The nose is quite closed for the time being, with a steely, almost herbaceous character. The palate shows tremendous concentration, suggesting an impressive capacity to age.
Will Heslop - 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. 

The limestone plateau above the Merlin’s house is a prime site, slow to ripen but delivering a wine of spectacular concentration and ageing potential. The 2012 has an amazingly dense nose with a little well judged wood, 20% new for the first year in barrel. There’s a glorious weight of fruit to this, some lemon acidity, though the detail is hiding a bit in its youth. Not just a Mâcon wine but one of Burgundy’s great whites.
Jasper Morris MW, Burgundy Wine Director

An outstanding Macon white from my favourite producer in the region. This simply over delivers; full and rich, the concentration and depth will come as a pleasant surprise. There’s a touch of toasty oak on the nose, hints of hazelnut and fine lemony acidity. The quality and ageing potential belie the very reasonable price.
Martyn Rolph - Private Account Manager

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%.