Simon W | 2019 Saint-Véran 'Merloix', Pierre Janny

When I started out in the Wine Trade in 1974, I was offered a position with the Jacquemont family, owners of Château de Gimaret in Moulin-à-Vent. Pierre Jacquemont was the family member I remember the most and winding the clock forward to 1994, twenty years later when I had my own business, I contacted Pierre for a recommendation of a good St Véran and he pointed me, without further ado, to Pierre Janny and I imported many of his wines over many years.

Imagine my joy when I discovered that FromVineyardsDirect (also under the Mr.Wheeler stable) had been buying Janny’s wines for many years.

We drank a bottle of this excellent wine last week. 2019 is as you know a first-class vintage for both the Mâconnais and Burgundy overall. The colour is of an appetising shining pale gold and it displays ripe hazelnuts on the nose. It has good grip, notes of chalk intermingled with good ripe fruit and acidity to match. It is long and elegant and stood up perfectly to a roasted Guinea Fowl with a carrot, potato and parsnip puree and a smidgen of grain Dijon mustard.