Château De Melin

Château de Melin has been owned by Arnaud and Hélène Derats since 1999. It is located in the hamlet of Melin near the village of Beaune. Built in 1551 and enlarged over the centuries by its successive owners, the castle has had several lives: family home, wine estate, host of vacation camps and guest rooms. With the purchase of Château de Melin, the couple also took over the family vineyard consisting of 22 hectares of vines located in the Côtes de Nuit and Côtes de Beaune areas.

A long history of winemaking

The lands of the château have been devoted to vineyards for several centuries. Since the end of the 18th century, six generations of winemakers have taken turns working there and tending the vines to make wines worthy of these great terroirs.

Arnaud Derats' grandfather, Paul Dumay, worked several hectares between the two wars in the Maranges valley. His daughter took over the estate with her husband in 1968 and developed the vineyard with the acquisition of other plots in Côtes de Beaune and Côtes de Nuit.

Arnaud Derats buys the Château de Melin, installs his cellars and gathers his vineyard with the vines of his family. The Château now exploits 22 hectares in 20 appellations of the Côtes de Beaune and 2 of the Côtes de Nuit and produces red and white wines of great quality.

The choice of organic viticulture

Attached to preserving these terroirs, the couple made the choice of a reasoned agriculture in the early 2000s. In 2009, they committed the estate to a process of conversion to organic farming and no longer use chemicals or pesticides. The vines receive treatments allowed in the specifications of the certification: sulfur and copper mainly. The soils are covered with grass clippings to limit erosion and the life of the soil is preserved.

The wines

Château de Melin Maranges premier cru "clos des rois" vintage 2018 is a greedy and powerful wine with a ruby red color pulling on the raspberry. The nose is fruity with notes of blackcurrant, red fruit and spicy nuances. The mouth is fresh, fleshy, with peppery notes. This is a wine that pairs perfectly with poultry, red meat or pizza.

The 2015 Château de Melin Sous Château is a burgundy in the Saint Romain appellation. It offers aromas of cherry, red currant and smoky notes. It is a fresh and intense wine that reveals its full potential after a few years in the cellar.

Château de Melin Puligny Montrachet "la corvée des vignes" is a racy and elegant 100% Chardonnay white wine. The nose is complex with aromas of exotic fruits, almond paste, fern and white flowers. The mouth is mellow with a beautiful persistence and mineral notes.