Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine Spectator
This dense white shows apricot, citronella and butterscotch flavors, revealing an underlying mineral element. Creamy and concentrated, with a long finish. Shows terrific harmony and finesse in the end. Drink now through 2023.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: While it is no secret that Pouilly-Fuissé has endured a checkered past. Many folks deride the wine for its lack of commercial excitement, while others love their easy-drinking consistency. Fortunately, some producers strived for excellence. The 2017 Bouchard Père & Fils Pouilly-Fuissé is an excellent effort. TASTING NOTES: This wine is delicious and vibrant. Its aromas and flavors of ripe apples and a suggestion of flowers should pair it beautifully with a frisky salad of roast chicken, arugula, and other garden vegetables accented with a drizzle of lemon vinaigrette. (Tasted: March 14, 2019, San Francisco, CA)
One of the most popular and versatile white wine grapes, Chardonnay offers a wide range of flavors and styles depending on where it is grown and how it is made. While it tends to flourish in most environments, Chardonnay from its Burgundian homeland produces some of the most remarkable and longest lived examples. California produces both oaky, buttery styles and leaner, European-inspired wines. Somm Secret—The Burgundian subregion of Chablis, while typically using older oak barrels, produces a bright style similar to the unoaked style. Anyone who doesn't like oaky Chardonnay would likely enjoy Chablis.
The source of some of the most sought-after white wines of the Mâconnais, Pouilly-Fuissé is produced exclusively from the Chardonnay grape and tends to be slightly richer in style than wines from its northern neighbor, the Côte de Beaune—mainly due to warmer weather. Wines from Pouilly-Fuissé have some versatility; they can be enjoyed young and can also often improve with a little time in the cellar. Pouilly-Fuissé wines are considered some of the best values for white Burgundy.
Similar to the Côte de Beaune, the soils of Pouilly-Fuissé are mainly limestone and clay. The appellation includes the communes of Fuissé, Solutré (which includes Pouilly), Vergisson and Chaintré. The richest Chardonnay comes from Fuissé and Solutré-Pouilly, whereas the Chardonnay at higher elevation, from Vergisson, expresses more minerality and finesse. Pairing Pouilly-Fuissé with lobster or King Crab will bring great joy not only to your palate—but also your pocketbook!