Saint-Veran

Typical of St Veran in that it combines a luxurious manifestation of Chardonnay with excellent value. Winemakers Jean-Luc Terrier and Christian Collovray have crafted, here, a beautifully rich and creamy white burgundy with overtones of toasted oak and apple. Would go wonderfully with chicken though I’ve enjoyed it on its own.

This cuvée comes from a 1.5 hectare parcel adjoining the village of Davayé. It’s south-facing and sheltered, so the vines here ripen relatively quickly, giving rich wines which respond well to oak-ageing (30 percent of the cuvée) and frequent lees stirring. Expect aromas of ripe citrus and stone fruit – even tropical fruit such as mango – from the 2015, an exceptionally warm vintage. Despite its medium-full body, the palate boasts a fresh, mineral finish which Jean-Luc attributes in part to the quartz pebbles that decorate the surface of the vineyard. A superb match for poulet à l’estragon (chicken in a cream and tarragon sauce). 

The nose is downright flamboyant with aromas including peach and – as Olivier rightly points out – tangerine, as well as a well-judged dose of toasty oak. The palate is at once ripe and voluminous yet fresh. Best of all is the long, salty finish, which seems to be a hallmark of Olivier’s 2016s.

From 55-year-old vines with a high proportion of Chardonnay Muscaté, there is a floral ripeness to the bouquet which leads seamlessly to the broad and open palate. Generous and suave, with just the right amount of restraining acidity, this wine flirts with hedonism before tightening up to give a nod to an underlying seriousness. Drink 2019-2022.
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. 

Caroline Gon (winemaker at the domaine) is delighted with her second vintage of St Véran. As she points out, the Montchanin vineyard faces due south and its wines can be prone to corpulence, so timely harvesting is essential: the pickers descended on August 28th in 2015. At present, this shows more than a little reduction, but there are lashings of ripe white fruit beneath. On the palate, a streak of acidity provides the tension to match its gorgeous, rich texture. Enjoy now and over the next five years.
Will Heslop - Wine Buyer

With freshness atypical for St Véran, the nose is inviting with plenty of white stone fruit. This follows through onto the palate alongside intense, crisp acidity which builds to give a clean finish. Drink 2018-2022.
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.

Raised in a mixture of foudres and demi-muids, this is quite a new cuvée for Lafon (the first vintage was 2014). This wine is a blend of two south-facing parcels and one north-facing plot. There is real ripeness to this wine, with notes of orange blossom on the nose, along with a touch of smoky bacon. The palate is rounded and exuberant, with orange peel flavours; the firm, mineral core keeps the ripeness in check. Drink 2019-2023.
Adam Bruntlett, Brugundy Buyer

In September 1999 the Lafon family bought a domaine at Milly-Lamartine, renaming it Les Héritiers du Comte Lafon. In May 2003 a further six hectares in the villages of Uchizy and Chardonnay were added, followed by Viré-Clessé in 2009 and Prissé, PouillyFuissé and St Véran in 2014. The whole operation, based at Milly, is now looked after by Caroline Gon under the supervision of Dominique Lafon and totals 26 hectares. The vineyards are now biodynamic, and the wines are vinified partly in stainless steel, partly in large wooden foudres and partly in demimuids, depending on the cuvée. It hailed a little in St Véran. Harvest began on 15th September, finishing with the Mâcon-Bussières on 1st October, allowing Dominique and his cellar master, Caroline Gon, to pick each of their parcels at the perfect level of ripeness. Caroline explained that the acidity levels of the 2016s are not dissimilar to those of 2015, but that the lower alcohol means the wines feel fresher and more energetic.