Domaine Olivier Merlin

Olivier and his wife Corinne took over their estate, then called Vieux Saint Sorlin, in 1987 when it was very run down. They now run it with their two sons and their partners.

Much of the work is by hand and Olivier says their methods are probably not hugely different to how wine was made two hundred years ago. While not certified organic, Olivier uses organic practices. The wines are aged a long time on the lees - often twelve months on the gross lees in barrel and then after racking a further 6 months on fine lees. This gives the wine great protection against oxidation and means that Olivier need only use very small amounts of SO2. These are Mâconnais and Beaujolais wines of real depth that truly reflect their terroirs.