2022 Moulin-à-Vent, La Rochelle, Olivier Merlin, Beaujolais

This is very good indeed. It has beautiful freshness, and the palate fills out with ripe summer red fruits, underpinned by a cool minerality. La Rochelle is a fine site, where the Merlins have 0.95 hectares, bought in 2006. It is always ploughed by horse and is planted at a high density of 12,000 gobelet-pruned vines per hectare. Drink 2026-2042.