Domaine Merlin Macon La Roche Vineuse Vieilles Vignes 2022

Drink it now or cellar for up to 15 years. It is recommended to decant it for half an hour. Corinne and Olivier Merlin founded Domaine Merlin in the late 1980s, taking over an old winery in La Roche Vineuse. Today, the company extends over approximately 15 hectares of vineyards distributed in the Mâconnais and Moulin à Vent appellations. The vineyards are worked manually according to the fundamental principles of good viticulture. In the cellar, traditional practices are preferred. Since 2017, their sons Paul and Theo have joined their parents to carry on the company philosophy and the family spirit of the estate. Macon Villages Vieilles Vignes is made with Chardonnay grapes from four different parcels of vines that have an average age of approximately 65 years (the oldest were planted in the 1920s). The harvest is manual and after a light pressing, fermentation takes place in barriques (10% new). The finished wine is aged for a year in barrique. The result is a complex and deep wine, with surprising depth and elegance for a Macon. The old vines ensure the production of a wine of great concentration, rich and balanced. The nose reveals a ripe and buttery aromatic profile with notes of yellow fruit and hints of minerality and light toastiness. On the palate, it has a creamy texture. It is soft and smooth with a bright acidity that balances the fruity sweetness. The finish is long and recalls delicate oak notes. Excellent with fried scallops, crab bisque, and herb-roasted chicken.

Price: £18.37 from 8wines UK