Françoise et Nicolas Melin
Domaine la Soufrandise
71960 Fuissé

Owner: Françoise and Nicolas Melin
Wine maker: Nicolas Melin

Background

The bedrock of the Mâconnais is the continuation of the Jurassic strata found in the Côte d’Or and it is here that the finest whites of southern Burgundy are found, nowhere more so than in Pouilly Fuissé. Whilst there may be a geological relationship between this area and its more northerly cousin, the countryside is markedly different. This is a region of undulating wood-capped hills where vines are planted alongside sweet chestnuts, acacias, cherry trees, cattle and goats. With around 9,000 growers having less than 2ha of vines, polyculture is much more prevalent here than in the Côte d’Or.

The clay-limestone vineyards of Pouilly Fuissé are situated on steep slopes which form an amphitheatre around the villages of Fuissé, Solutré, Vergisson and Chaintré. There are multifarious terroirs and expositions and the vineyard is generally divided up into many small parcels, turning blending into an art form.

Nowhere is this more obvious than with the Melins. Their 6,25ha of vines cover more than 20 different parcels, each of which is vinified separately. Look at the list of their vineyards and how they are exposed and you will see all four points of the compass. Whilst most of their land is situated on clay-limestone, a couple of small parcels have been planted on schist and three others on silicious-clay, amongst them le Ronté.

With so many different factors at play, the possibility for blending is endless. As the seventh generation of Melins to farm this land, Nicolas is a past master at the subtle art of combining different cuvées to create the most harmonious blend. The wines he produces are frank, strict, sometimes austere in their youth, which need time to open out and reveal their elegance and intense minerality.

It is certain that nature in her munificence has been kind to Nicolas, but the credit for the quality of his wines ultimately lies with him. With unremitting rigour, he short prunes to keep yields low, leaf plucks three weeks prior to the harvest to aerate the bunches and sows grass cover in the winter. Chemicals are kept to a strict minimum, only organic fertilizer is used and all spraying is stopped two months before the harvest to prevent any chemical residue making its way into the wine.

The grapes are hand-harvested at optimum ripeness, which means that picking often starts when many of his confrères are controlling the end of the fermentation. Grape handling is kept to a strict minimum – grapes are gently squeezed in a pneumatic press and the finally pressing is vinified separately. After settling, the fine lees are blended back into the wine. The Mâcon Fuissé is then aged for 10 months in tank, whilst the Pouilly Fuissé spends the same length of time in barrel, of which just over a third are new. After bottling the wines are aged in bottle of a further year before being released. If Nicolas Melin demonstrates a great deal of patience in the making of his wines, anyone wishing to appreciate them at their best will be in need of the same virtue, as only a few years in bottle will allow them to sing.

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Vineyard Holdings

Commune	level*	lieu dit /Climat	wines made*	Area (ha)	Vine age	Status*
Fuissé	V	Clos Marie	W	0.80	35	O/TF
	V	les Plantés	W	1.25	60	O/TF
	V	Clos Gaillard	W	0.75	50	TF
	V	Vers Gras	W	0.15	45	TF
	V	Ménestrières	W	0.35	55	O
	V	Prasles	W	0.08	35	O
	V	les Champs	W	0.15	40	TF
	V	les Chevaux	W	0.20	55	TF
	V	les Perrières	W	0.07	35	TF
	V	les Travers	W	0.15	60	TF
	V	les Chataîgners	W	0.25	45	O
	V	Chardette	W	0.10	40	O
	V	Scellés	W	0.30	60	O
	V	Tancul	W	0.65	15	O
Mâcon Fuissé	V	Rontés	W	0.70	20	O
	V	Tancul	W	0.30	15	O
		Total Ha		6.25

*Key

R/W= Red or White wines made in this lieu dit / climat
R	= Regional appellation	O	= Owner
V	= Village	SC	= Share cropper
PC	= Premier Cru	TF	= Tenant farmer
GC	= Grand Cru