Winemaker Notes
Clean pale yellow with hints of green and a nice brilliance. Crisp on the nose with ripe fruit and powerful, toasted bread, fresh almonds and hints of butter. Lots of finesse, elegance, white flowers and some mineral on the palate. Very nice, dense and concentrated, this wine is powerful, ripe, crisp, and long on the palate.
Professional Ratings
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Decanter
The arrival of 22 Premiers Crus in Pouilly-Fuissé from the 2020 vintage was a significant moment for this Mâconnais appellation, and this wine from the `22 vintage is the first to win a place in our Best In Show selection. The vineyards themselves, of course, have been there for centuries, so in terms of aroma, flavour and weight nothing has changed: Pouilly-Fuissé was always one of the most generously contoured white wines in Burgundy, and it remains so. Premier Cru, though, provides an opportunity for the spotlight to swing onto individual sites. This site is clearly outstanding: wealth, warmth and comfort sings out of the glass of this pale gold wine. It’s mouthfilling, broad and amply articulated, rich with a high-summer generosity of nuts, grasses, straw and pounded hazels and almonds; the finish is long, vinous, broad but finally neatly tailored and without any undue heat. A benchmark example of this unique and much-loved appellation in an enduring and alluring vintage.
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Jasper Morris
The soil of Le Clos is a mix of clay below and limestone above, and the wine is made in 100% new wood – yet I can barely discern it at all on the nose. A little deeper in colour. Quite discreet at the first then builds extremely well on the palate, with a perfumed but not muscatty note at the back. Elegance and intensity with a really lovely finish.
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Vinous
The 2022 Pouilly-Fuissé Le Clos 1er Cru comes from vines with an east exposure on the middle of the slope, a monopole of Château de Fuissé, although each part is vinified separately. It is raised entirely in new oak from a local cooperage in Romaneche-Thorin, although that is far less marked than the vintages that I used to taste 15 to 20 years ago. The palate is nicely balanced and elegant in style. Crucially, as I mentioned already, the new oak is far less obvious, allowing the terroir to come through. Grilled almonds and walnuts appear towards the finish. Sophisticated.
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Wine Spectator
Aromas of white pepper and nutmeg give way to peach and apricot notes in this fruity white. Bright acidity propels the finish, where baking spice elements return. Drink now through 2028. 50 cases imported.
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!