The Yellow Heifer - Biodynamic - Domaine Du Chateau D'eau Merlot

A lovely Merlot with aromatic black cherry fruit, faint notes of black pepper and vanilla, soft tannins, and classic structure. Dry, with some delicacy, this is a fine antidote to the port-like fruit bombs currently passed off as Merlot.

Lunar-organic wine making - 'It's a way of cultivating grapes that follows the code of practice of organic agriculture and also takes into account the phases of the moon' - how vineyard work that disturbs the vine is avoided as the ascending moon rises, as this draws up the sap. Similarly no ploughing, hoeing or earthing up happens during waning moon for fear of disturbing the soil. Vine treatments (organic or course) must be applied just before the full moon and new moon. All this is combined with 'ancestral savoir-faire' and some homoeopathic sprays to ensure the vines make the best grapes they can. And here's the rub. Scientifically a lot of this appears to be nonsense. Empirically a lot of it is very hard to test. But as with so many wines made like this or using full blown biodynamics, the Moillard wines are very good, individual and distinctive. And science does at least agree that vineyard soil in places like Moillard are hotbeds of biodiversity and microbial life.