Winemaker Notes
Aromas of crushed stones, jellied quince, citrus salad. Very mineral, precise, with a core of concentrated white fruit. PAIRING SUGGESTIONS: As an aperitif; with mixed salads; roasted chicken with herbs; fresh French cheeses
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2019 Pouilly-Fuissé Les Crays delivers a generous bouquet of citrus peel, buttery pastry, vanilla pod, smoke and yellow orchard fruit. Medium to full-bodied, layered and textural, it's bright and layered, with excellent concentration and a long, saline finish. Like all Barraud's 2019s, it's a powerful, muscular wine, but for now everything is kept in check.
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!