2022 Berry Bros. & Rudd Pouilly-Fuissé by Olivier Merlin, Burgundy

Pouilly-Fuissé is the most distinguished wine appellation in the Mâconnais, making rich, full-bodied white Burgundy from Chardonnay in four communes: Chaintré, Fuissé, Solutré-Pouilly and Vergisson. There is a move afoot to consider classifying individual vineyard sites. Since arriving in the Mâconnais in 1987, Olivier and Corinne Merlin have become among the region’s most respected producers.

Pouilly-Fuissé is the most distinguished wine appellation in the Mâconnais, making rich, full-bodied white Burgundy from Chardonnay in four communes: Chaintré, Fuissé, Solutré-Pouilly and Vergisson. There is a move afoot to consider classifying individual vineyard sites. Since arriving in the Mâconnais in 1987, Olivier and Corinne Merlin have become among the region’s most respected producers. After 10 years, they began buying Pouilly-Fuissé grapes, and now make three different cuvées each vintage. Pouilly-Fuissé should not be confused with Pouilly-Fumé or Pouilly-sur-Loire in the Loire Valley that produce wines from Sauvignon Blanc.

Olivier Merlin is widely regarded as being one of the very finest winemakers in the Mâconnais. He and his wife Corinne began in 1987 by renting 4.5 hectares. from René Gaillard, of Domaine du Vieux Saint-Sorlin, who wished to retire. Since then, Olivier has been buying the property in stages as well as adding new vineyards such as St Véran (in 1994 and ‘96). In September ‘97 Olivier took out a négociant's licence in order to be able to make some Pouilly Fuissé, since land in this appellation is neither available to buy nor to rent. He makes three cuvées of Pouilly-Fuissé (one each from Fuissé, Vergisson and Chaintré) and a Viré-Clessé. From 2000 some Moulin-à-Vent joined the stable. The single-vineyard wines, including Mâcon-La Roche Vineuse, Les Cras and St Véran, Le Grand Bussière, get 18 months’ barrel-ageing with 30 to 50% new wood. Olivier has established a reputation as one of the region’s most dynamic growers, a reference point for the Mâconnais. The whites demonstrate his exceptional winemaking talents, and the potential of “lowly” appellations. They are frequently taken for Côte d'Or wines if tasted blind. His Bourgogne Rouge is at its best after two to three years when the fruit expresses itself fully. Olivier and Corinne have recently been joined at the domaine by their sons, Théo and Paul, who have completed their winemaking studies, and also spent time working at wineries in the Mornington Peninsula. With this extra manpower at the domaine’s disposal, Olivier has acquired a handful of new parcels including the Clos de France, in the heart of the village of Vergisson (2018 will be the inaugural vintage of the eponymous single-vineyard wine). Discover the story behind our Own Selection Pouilly-Fuissé, made for us by Olivier.

Chardonnay is often seen as the king of white wine grapes and one of the most widely planted in the world It is suited to a wide variety of soils, though it excels in soils with a high limestone content as found in Champagne, Chablis, and the Côte D`Or. Burgundy is Chardonnay's spiritual home and the best White Burgundies are dry, rich, honeyed wines with marvellous poise, elegance and balance. They are unquestionably the finest dry white wines in the world. Chardonnay plays a crucial role in the Champagne blend, providing structure and finesse, and is the sole grape in Blanc de Blancs.

It is quantitatively important in California and Australia, is widely planted in Chile and South Africa, and is the second most widely planted grape in New Zealand. In warm climates Chardonnay has a tendency to develop very high sugar levels during the final stages of ripening and this can occur at the expense of acidity. Late picking is a common problem and can result in blowsy and flabby wines that lack structure and definition. Recently in the New World, we have seen a move towards more elegant, better- balanced and less oak-driven Chardonnays, and this is to be welcomed.