Domaine Merlin Macon La Roche Vineuse Les Cras 2022

Drink it now or cellar for up to 10 years. It is recommended to decant it for half an hour. Olivier Merlin founded his company in 1987 with his wife Corinne in La Roche-Vineuse, in the southernmost part of Burgundy. The first vineyards acquired were part of an old estate, and over the years, the company expanded with the purchase of several plots. Today, Domaine Merlin cultivates the typical Burgundian grape varieties Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Gamay and practices sustainable viticulture and traditional winemaking to maximize the terroir. The Chardonnay grapes come from a vineyard at about 300 meters above sea level in the municipality of La Roche Vineuse. The vines, aged between 5 and 30 years, enjoy a south-west exposure and are rooted in clay-limestone soils. After manual harvesting, fermentation takes place in oak barrels, and the finished wine then rests for about a year and a half in barriques. Mâcon Les Cras is a rich and complex wine with a broad aromatic profile characterized by notes of exotic and stone fruit, pear, and hazelnut, followed by mineral notes. On the palate, it is fresh and balanced, powerful and juicy, with a strong minerality that lingers on the long finish. Try it with fried frog legs and snails Burgundy style.