2020 Domaine Olivier Merlin Pouilly-Fuisse Les Chevrieres Premier Cru

Based in the village of La Roche Vineuse, Olivier Merlin and his wife Corinne founded their domain in 1987 after taking over the 4.5ha of vineyards of the 200-year-old Domaine du Vieux Saint-Sorlin. Since then they have grown to now include 26 hectares of vineyards stretching across Saint-Véran, Pouilly-Fuissé, Viré-Clessé, Moulin à Vent, along with their home in Macon's La Roche Vineuse. While not certified organic, from the beginning they have shunned the use of chemicals in their vineyards and maintain their soils with tilling between the rows. Winemaking is traditional with the handpicked grapes pressed as whole clusters before fermentation and maturation mainly in cask, where new oak use is decreasing year on year.

Other Reviews....
The 2020 Pouilly-Fuissé Les Chevrieres 1er Cru, one of Merlin's most precocious Premier Crus (0.65 hectares) has a touch of menthol on the nose that conveys real vigour. The palate is very well balanced with a silky-smooth entry, fine acidity, lightly spiced with a distant tang of lemongrass and stem ginger, chamomile and touches of bergamot furnishing the finish. What more could you want in a Pouilly-Fuissé? Drink 2023-2042.
94 points
Neal Martin - Vinous