Domaine du Clos des Rocs

Olivier Giroux – owner and winemaker at Le Domaine de Clos des Rocs – is a seventh-generation vigneron. He grew up in Fuissé, where his parents have a domaine, but purchased this property – previously known as Domaine Saint-Philibert – in Loché in 2002.

Relentlessly energetic, from day one his mission has been to make wines with a sense of place, working to restore life in the soils. He has 13 hectares of vines in total, with six hectares in Pouilly-Loché, six in Mâcon-Loché and the remaining hectare spread over parcels in Pouilly-Fuissé and Mâcon-Fuissé, all averaging over 60 years in age.

The property is named after its prized 3.5-hectare monopole, Clos des Rocs, which is part of the climat Les Mûres. This east-facing site has just 30cm of iron and calcareous topsoil over limestone bedrock that the 85-year-old Chardonnay’s roots dive into, producing an intensely mineral, concentrated, complex and age-worthy wine. He farms organically (certified since 2014) and the winemaking is generally consistent across the range, to allow each terroir to shine through in the final wine. That said, his Mâcon-Lochés are raised exclusively in stainless-steel tank while the rest of the range sees some oak. He increasingly favours larger, old 500-litre oak barrels, but is also a fan of 300-litre stainless-steel barrels, feeling that their shape alone (versus a standard cuve inoxe) can impact the wine, giving it a rounder texture. Annual production for the estate is around 70,000 bottles.