Laboure Roi Pouilly Fuisse 2001
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Under the leadership of Armand and his brother Louis who later joined him, Laboure-Roi has become what is today the third largest source of Burgundy wines.
A key element in the transformation and continued success of Laboure-Roi is the Cottin brothers' readiness to embrace progress, supported by their extensive investment in state-of-the-art technology. The Laboure-Roi winemaking facility in Nuits-Saint-Georges is indisputably one of the finest in Burgundy. The winery, which boasts a cellaring capacity of 2,000 barrels, supplements the house's historic cellars. Dating back to the 16th century, the ancient cellars are still used today for the storing and aging select bottles.
Laboure-Roi pioneered the concept of presenting single estate wines under each respective domaine's label. Laboure-Roi's staff of five winemakers provides these growers with ongoing guidance to ensure that each individual wine meets the house standards of quality and reflects the unique characteristics of its respective terroir.
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!