Winemaker Notes
The Les Combettes shows a light yellow color with subtle notes of green. Floral and mineral on the nose, with hints of exotic fruit and ripe apples. On the palate, the attack is full and fresh with aromas of white flowers. Rich on the finish, the wine is fresh, with a crisp minerality and good roundness.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Spectator
Buttery and rich, this white delivers apple pie, citronella and baking spice flavors. Harmonious, finding a nice groove as this persists on the finish. Stays spicy through the lingering aftertaste. Drink now through 2029. 333 cases made, 100 cases imported.
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Decanter
This monopole of 1.8 hectares is situated between Les Rontets and the premier cru Les Perrières, exposed to the east and north at 280m elevation. The site has more limestone than clay, and the stony character comes out in the wine, with a bright, lemony fruit aroma with notes of mint and licorice. The texture is silky but still substantial. The wine is fermented in used casks and matured over two winters to deliver a wine of great finesse.
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Vinous
The 2020 Pouilly-Fuissé Les Combettes, which Antoine Vincent opined should have been made a Premier Cru (denied because the INAO did not accept north and north-east facing vineyards), was the last to be picked as usual. It has a well-defined bouquet with honeysuckle and flinty aromas, unfolding with each swirl of the glass. The palate is well-defined, quite saline and slightly peppery on the entry, the calcareous soils coming through nicely, the prudent use of used barrels letting the minerality shine through on the finish. I have always thought this is one of Château de Fuissé's under-rated cuvées.
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!