Domaine Olivier Merlin Current Releases

Macon Blanc La Roche Vineuse

The soils in Olivier's La Roche Vineuse parcels are Bathonian and Bajocian era clay-limestone.

The majority of the wine is fermented in stainless steel tanks with around 10% going into older Burgundian barrels. The wine goes through malolactic fermentation and is bottled after 15 months of aging without being fined. 

Macon Blanc La Roche Vineuse Vieilles Vignes

Olivier's old-vine La Roche Vineuse bottling comes from a 3 hectare parcel planted in the mid-1950s. The soils are Bathonian and Bajocian era clay-limestone.

The wine is fermented entirely in barrel of different ages: 15% new, 25% one year old, 25% two years old, 25% three years old, and 10% four years old. It is aged in barrel for a year and then in tank for three months before being bottled without being fined. 

Saint Veran

Saint Veran is an early-ripening site for Olivier. It is small, only 1.2 hectares, and has vines planted as recently as 2000 but as far back as 1950. The soils are quartenary clay-limestone based.

The wine is fermented in barrel and aged for 10 months in mostly neutral barrel.

Pouilly Fuisse Les Chevrieres

Olivier Merlin’s Pouilly Fuisse Les Chevrieres is densely planted (9,000 vines per hectare) of on average 75 year old vines. The soils are clay-limestone based with iron oxide.

The fruit is whole cluster pressed and fermented in barrel (10% new). It is aged for 18 months in barrel.

Bourgogne Rouge

Olivier has the same elegant touch with his reds as he does his whites. He de-stems the Pinot Noir entirely and ferments in open-top wooden vats. After 13 days or so, the wine is pressed and the wine undergoes malolactic fermentation in a combination of barrels and wooden vats. The share is roughly 60/40, in favor of the wooden vats. After 8 months of elevage in wood, the wine is racked, lightly filtered and bottled.

Bourgogne Rouge les Cras

Olivier's Bourgogne Rouge Les Cras comes from a single 0.90 hectare parcel of 20 year old vines. The soils are Bathonian and Bajocian era clay-limestone. 

Fermentation and vinification are very similar to his other Bourgogne Rouge with small modifications. He de-stems the Pinot Noir entirely and ferments in open-top wooden vats. After 13 days or so, the wine is pressed and the wine undergoes malolactic fermentation in barrels. After 15 months of elevage in wood, the wine is racked, lightly filtered and bottled.