Domaine Eric Forest
Eric FOREST
Eric Forest runs an estate of 7 hectares, most of which planted by his grandfather in the 1960’s. Before taking over the family's estate in 1999 he spent two years learning alongside Mâconnais superstar Jean-Marie Guffens. After returning to the domaine, Eric worked 5 hectares of vines being located – for most of them – on the steep limestone scree slopes below the dramatic outcrop of Vergisson in the Pouilly Fuissé appellation. In 2018 he acquired 1.4 hectares in the famous cru of Mâcon-Pierreclos as well as some vines in Saint-Véran and Mâcon-Vergisson, bringing the total of the domaine’s holdings to 7 hectares.
The vines are farmed in very strict lutte raisonnée. Eric works with the moon calendar, soils are ploughed and no chemicals are used.
Grapes are pressed directly and the juice goes through a 24 hours natural clarification in small stainless steel tanks before being sent to barrels and demi-muids. Fermentation takes place in oak with indigenous yeasts and the wine will remain there until the next harvest. 10 to 20% of the barrels and demi-muids are new, batonnage is almost never used and only a small amount of sulphur is added after fermentation. The barrels are not even “méché” but cleaned with water. After ageing, the wine go through an extra 3 months in stainless steel tanks on the lees before being bottled without filtration or fining.
"Eric masters perfectly the minerality of his terroir to craft high quality wines – still under radar but probably not for long"