Winemaker Notes
A caressing touch, a tasty finish and a fresh texture characterize this emblematic cuvée. A reductive woodsy note suggests a positive aging potential for this cuvée.
Professional Ratings
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Jasper Morris
This wine starts life in a mix of tank and barrel. The tank component, which includes the vines on schistous soils in one part of Fuissé, shows some green tints to the colour, with an attractive fruit both lively and juicy. There is a definite bitterness. Still, youthful promise. The barrel component, from clay-limestone soils includes some 1er Cru grapes as a counterpoint to the schist, and a bit of fruit from Vergisson. Pale lemon in colour without the green, a slightly richer and softer nose, more evidently Pouilly-Fuissé. Fresh plum fruit, balanced and delicious. My assessment may be over cautious. Drink from 2026-2030.
Barrel Sample: 89-90
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!