Having vinified two vintages in a Californian vineyard, Olivier Merlin took over the Domaine du Vieux Saint-Sorlin, in La Roche Vineuse, near Mâcon, with his wife Corinne, in 1987.
This 4.5 hectare domaine, which has been in the same family since 1750, had to be totally rebuilt. Over the years, the couple has bought several vineyards and replanted plots. Today, the estate covers 15 hectares of vineyards in appellations such as Mâcon-La-Roche-Vineuse, Saint-Véran, Moulin à Vent, Bourgogne, Pouilly-Fuissé, Viré-Clessé, etc.
Dedication, rigour, manual work and respect of the soil are the core values of this domaine that has opted for very strict production standards: controlled yields, organic farming without herbicides, insecticides or synthetic fertilizers, ploughing with a draft horse on certain plots, harvesting by hand, etc. These exacting standards have resulted in the domaine being ranked among the 'exceptional estates' by Wine Spectator.