merlin bourgogne blanc 2021

corinne and olivier merlin started out in 1987, renting vines, sharecropping and then buying grapes in some of the best areas of the mâconnais. in 2006, they bought 2 hectares of moulin-à-vent, including part of the la rochelle terroir, which coincided with a decline in the wine trade. théo and paul, their two sons, now very involved, joined them at the end of 2017 with the purchase of 9 hectares of old vines in mâcon, saint-véran and pouilly-fuissé. the 2019 vintage has enabled the star to be awarded. with four premier cru terroirs, the 2020s confirm the estate's current excellent form. the wines: two serious and promising mâcons. les cras has a high mineral content, and the woodiness is right up there with the ripe, fresh and invigorating chardonnay. three saint-véran wines appeal to us, in particular la côte-rotie, a parcel in davayé. it expresses the minerality of the area. it's a sunny 2020 but controlled, pure and chiselled. it is ready for comfortable cellaring. les chevrières is a premier cru located around the chaintré quarry. its tension and limestone character counteract its power. clos de france is our favourite, a pure terroir from the heart of vergisson. ripe, shell-like, with a noble woody structure, it offers us a fine interpretation of a "fuissé haute couture", a skilful blend of minerality and controlled power, made for ageing. the reds are remarkable: a fine, digestible burgundy; the moulin-à-vent is a ripe, fresh, intense gamay, with a depth expected of such a vintage.