Daniel & Julien Barraud Pouilly-Fuisse Les Chataigniers 2017
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Returning to the range after being wiped out by hail in 2016 is the excellent 2017 Pouilly-Fuissé Les Chataigniers Vieilles Vignes, from a high-altitude, east-facing parcel the Barraud family acquired in 2011. Offering up aromas of white currant, almond paste, fresh pear and white flowers, it's full-bodied, satiny and layered, with excellent tension at the core, chalky structuring dry extract and lively acids, concluding with a long and precise finish.
"Daniel Barraud is without question one of the finest growers in all of the Mâconnais and there is a credible argument to be made that his remarkable consistency vaults him right to the very top of the list … this man almost never misses." --Alan Meadows, Burghound
Domaine Daniel et Julien Barraud is not only the source of Vergisson’s finest organic wines but also sets the standard for world-class white Burgundy from the Maconnais. The petit hamlet of Vergisson, with its high-altitude vineyards, is where the region’s finest wines are made.
The history of the Barraud family began in 1905. Jean-Marie Barraud, a sharecropper, installed himself in the village of Vergisson, in the Maconnais. He saved his earnings until in 1912, he was able to purchase vineyard land, the first parcels of the future Domaine Barraud.
Toward the end of the 1930s, the estate's second generation was bottling their own wines on the property, with the first wine from the legendary 'Les Crays' vineyard appearing in 1947.
In the 1970s, wines from the Maconnais were slowly being discovered by the wider world, both for their high quality and serious value when compared to white Burgundy from the Cote d'Or.
Winemaker Daniel Barraud -- the family's fourth generation -- and his wife Martine today are widely held as one of the top winemaking families in the region. Their son, Julien, began working at the domaine in 2006.
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!