DOMAINE ÉRIC FOREST

Eric is a star vigneron, based in the village of Vergisson, and now has 6 hectares of vines planted between 1930 and 1979. He has inherited a great knowledge of nature and biodynamics from his grandfather and this has been a major influence in his approach to viticulture and winemaking. All grapes are handpicked and fermented and matured for ten to fifteen months in barriques and demi-muids. The wines are hand bottled and are, usually, unfiltered.

His Mâcon-Vergisson is planted on soils of decalcified ferruginous clay with a bedrock of Bajocian limestone. This 400-metre-high, north-east exposed vineyard produces wines of great precision and minerality. The Pouilly Fuissé “L’Âme Forest” is a blend of two complementary, individual vineyards – “Les Tilliers” is planted on calcareous Sinemurian clay soils and “La Côte” is on Toarcian marl-limestone soils, located on the northern slope of the Vergisson hill. “Les Crays” (1er Cru from the 2020 vintage) is situated on the warm, exposed southern side of the Vergisson hill and is planted on blue marl and limestone.

Macon Pierreclos “Clos des Charmes”: A stunning, steep, 1.5 hectare, walled monopole, facing due south on marne and limestone soils. 60% of the vines are nearly 100 years old and the remainder planted mostly in 1992. The wine sees 12 months in barrel (40% new) with no racking or batonnage, then 5 months in stainless steel. It is bottled without filtration.

Pouilly-Fuisse “La Roche”: Eric’s finest plot in Vergisson. A magnificent south-east facing vineyard at 401m (and hence not Premier Cru). It is very calcareous, on a base of cracked Bajocien limestone, giving a wine of exquisite saline minerality and lemony freshness, which characterises great white Burgundy. Very limited.

www.ericforest.fr