Winemaker Notes
Pair with foie gras, grilled lobster, sea bass or rich cheeses.
Professional Ratings
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2015 Pouilly-Fuissé Hors-Classe Les Ménétrières is a fabulous wine that ranks among the vintage's highlights in the Mâconnais. Unfurling in the glass with notes of crisp Anjou pear, ripe citrus oil, subtle frangipane and crushed rocks, it's full-bodied, ample and incisive, with a satiny, textural attack underpinned by a strikingly racy, tangy line of acidity that cuts like a knife. While it has all the concentration and depth that one would expect from a top vintage of Les Ménétrières, it's the wine's vivacity that really stands out, especially in this balmy vintage. While it's quite thrilling to drink today, count on it enjoying two decades of longevity. Bravo to Audrey Braccini and her team!
Rating: 94+
-
Wine & Spirits
This comes from a small vineyard at the edge of the village of Fuissé, a southeast-facing slope where one-third of the vines are 40 years old. It’s a warm and powerful, barrel-fermented wine, combining the richness of the vintage with the briskness of limestone acidity. The baked orange notes show some alcohol, while soft chalkiness takes it in an ornate direction.
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!