Olivier Merlin is an old-school winemaker in the village of La Roche-Vineuse, in the Mâconnais, who prides himself on crafting non-manipulated wines with low yields. His wines are proof that wine from the Mâconnais can be serious, long-lived, and delicious.
Since starting his domaine in 1987 he has worked tirelessly to promote the wines of the region and now, as trends have come and gone, Olivier can be considered one of the region’s benchmark producers.
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 wine ages for 8 months 60% in closed wooden tanks, 40% in older oak barrels.
