Domaine Merlin Moulin-a-Vent La Rochelle 2022

Drink it now or cellar for up to 15 years. No need to decant, but best to open it half an hour before service. Located in southern Burgundy, in the village of La Roche-Vineuse, Domaine Merlin is a prestigious family winery founded in the late 80s by Olivier and Corinne Merlin with the purchase of an old vineyard from Domaine du Vieux Saint-Sorlin. Today the estate, which has grown in size and popularity over the years, makes Burgundian wines that strongly express their terroir of origin, also thanks to a very respectful approach to the environment and the use of artisanal practices in the cellar. The Gamay grapes come from a plot with old bush vines located in Chenas, about 30 km from La Roche Vineuse, at an altitude of about 280 meters. Here, the vines, 85% of which were planted in 1937 and the rest in 1962, enjoy a south-east exposure and very poor sand-granite soil. After manual harvesting, the wine is fermented under carbon dioxide in wooden vats, and the finished wine is aged in oak barrels for 18 months. In the glass, the wine reveals a deep red color with bluish reflections. Its aromatic profile is intense and fragrant, with notes of cherry and black pepper, followed by hints of chocolate. On the palate, it is dense and concentrated, ripe and round with firm and velvety tannins and a long and persistent finish. It makes an excellent match for grilled meat.

Price: £25.46 from 8wines UK