Champagne is a wine region steeped in history and bound by customary laws and practices. It is not typically renowned for its progressive attitude, or indeed, propensity for innovation.
After all, what incentive is there to change or improve something that clearly works. Something that’s tried and tested, not to mention tightly regulated. Something that allows you to sleep safely at night, because you’re not gambling on ideas that might make a difference. Or that might help towards a bigger and nobler cause?
Fortunately, there are movers and shakers in the region who are bold enough to question the status quo. Who are free-thinking enough to explore beyond the boundaries and who are humble enough to care.
Fortunately, there are movers and shakers in the region who are bold enough to question the status quo. Who are free-thinking enough to explore beyond the boundaries and who are humble enough to care.
Who is Pierre-Eric Jolly?
Thankfully Pierre-Eric Jolly, a fifth-generation family vigneron (grape grower and winemaker), is one such individual.
He joined the family Champagne business in 2000, aged 26, under the watchful eyes of father Hervé and grandfather René.
No doubt inspired by his ancestors’ independent spirit. For example great grandpapa Charles chose to remain independent when the village attempted to form a co-operative cellar in 1930.
Pierre-Eric is both an artisan, respectful of regional ancestral customs, and a forward-thinking innovator. He’s constantly seeking to find more efficient and sustainable solutions without ever compromising on quality.
Spend any time with Pierre-Eric and you become enchanted by his positive energy. Even his surname can’t fail to make you smile!
Pierre-Eric The Artisan
A firm believer in sustainability and self-sufficiency, Pierre-Eric’s 13.5 hectares of vines are farmed organically (certified). This means no use of chemical fertilisers, insecticides or pesticides whatsoever. All grapes are harvested by hand and come exclusively from his village, Landreville.
All the key vineyard and cellar tasks are conducted by the same, few, full-time employees. And that includes Pierre-Eric himself, so they are totally autonomous.
He doesn’t buy in any grapes, so his champagnes are a true reflection of the five Jolly-owned vineyards. These plots hold up to 30 year old Pinot Noir and up to 40 year old Chardonnay vines.
Every bottle of Champagne that Pierre-Eric makes, that’s about 35,000 every year, is disgorged by hand, not machine. This is the traditional way without freezing the neck, otherwise known as ‘a la volée’. He can disgorge 350 bottles in an hour so you can do the maths!
By the way, if you’re wondering where exactly Landreville is, it’s in the outlying Côte des Bar sub-region of Champagne.
Where is the Côte des Bar?
It lies in the Aube valley, around one and a half hours’ drive south of Champagne’s epicentre, Épernay. Geographically and geologically, it has more in common with the neighbouring region of Burgundy (Bourgogne) than with Champagne.
Viticulture is nothing new to this satellite area and evidence confirms the presence of vines as far back as the early 18th Century. Although most of the grapes were sold to the more established houses further north.
Overcoming the north/south divide!
This trend continued right through the 19th and early 20th centuries. When Champagne’s official classification was drawn up in 1908, the big houses rallied together to ensure the Aube was excluded. Well you can imagine how that went down.
In true French fashion, riots ensued and eventually, around three years later, the Comité relaxed their attitude. But only enough to grant the Aube second-rate classification Champagne deuxième zone. Talk about sour grapes! It took a further 16 years, until 1927, before this was finally adjusted to create a level playing field.
Perhaps this partly explains the fierce independence and entrepreneurial flair among Côte des Bar producers. Either way, it’s good for the region.
Pierre-Eric The Innovator
When you open your next bottle of Champagne, just take a moment to look at the cage (aka muzzle). You know, the bit around the cork once you’ve peeled off the foil.
You should see four vertical lengths of wire down the neck of the bottle. There’s also a horizontal piece that winds around the neck to hold it firmly in place.
The ‘Muselet-Y’ is Pierre-Eric’s own ingenious invention that he created back in 2007. It loses one of the lengths down the neck forming a Y-shape over the capsule.
He used it on all his champagnes between 2012 and 2014. The benefit is a 40+% saving in wire versus the standard muzzle. This, in turn, saves 92% in energy to produce. Imagine the saving across millions of bottles!
In 2013, a firm in Reims took over the patents. They’re aiming to roll out this energy-saving design imminently so keep your eyes peeled!
The carbon cap
In 2009, Pierre-Eric co-invented the carbon cap which sits under the Muselet-Y on his top cuvée Editio. This is a Champagne that spends no less than 15 years ageing before being disgorged and released to the market. The carbon cap is a clever luxurious touch that highlights Pierre-Eric’s penchant for detail.
I’m fortunate to be able to call Pierre-Eric a good friend and have known him on and off for the past 8 years. To find out about my first enlightening visit to his cellars in Landreville (August 2021) see Meet the Enigmatic Pierre-Eric Jolly
Despite sounding like the beginning of a Shakespearean soliloquy, I’m actually delving into the world of sweet wines. More precisely, the important presence of noble rot; Botrytis cinerea in Latin or simply botrytis for short.
What is Botrytis/Noble Rot?
Botrytis is a particular type of rot that occurs naturally under certain conditions. A warm climate and the close proximity of water creates mists that hang about the vineyards through the mornings. This damp, humid atmosphere encourages the growth of this unique mould. What stops it turning into the destructive grey rot is the evaporation of the moisture through the afternoon and evening.
Rather than tainting the flavour of the grapes, botrytis sucks out some of the water element. In turn, the sugars and acids concentrate under the shrivelling brown skins.
How are the Grapes Harvested?
The best producers will hand-pick these sticky, raisined grapes, on more than one passing through the vineyard. Harvesting can involve as many as eight or nine separate picks over a six to eight week period. This ensures that as many grapes as possible reach their optimum degree of ‘rot’ as ripening times vary. Even within the same bunch of grapes.
With production levels uneconomically low, this is an extremely high-risk and expensive way of producing wine. This goes some way towards explaining the high price tag compared with equivalent ranking dry wines.
The result in the bottle can be nothing short of exhilarating. It certainly helps if you have a sweet tooth and can cope with the wine’s rich texture and intense sweetness!
The Holy Trinity of Botrytised Wines
Arguably the best pudding wines can be found in Tokaji (Hungary), Sauternes (Bordeaux) and the Rheingau (Germany).
Tokaji
Tokaji, or Tokay (the English translation) is a region that spans northeast Hungary and southeast Slovakia. It’s home to the first wine to be made using botrytised grapes over 400 years ago. It has certainly stood the test of time and is a favourite among top wine merchants and restaurants worldwide.
The three main vine varieties that constitute Tokaji are Furmint, Hárslevelü and Yellow Muscat (aka Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains). All are planted close to the rivers Bodrog and Tisza, which help create the ideal conditions for botrytis to thrive.
The wines come in various grades of sweetness, measured in puttonyos or putts for short.
A puttony was a 25kg bucket that was filled with crushed nobly rotted grapes, known as Aszú. This was added to the barrel of dry fermented wine to start a secondary fermentation. Nowadays, the term refers to an equivalent amount of residual sugar.
The higher the putts level, the sweeter the wine. Up until 2014, Tokaji’s sweet wines ranged from 3 to 6 putts. However since then, both 3 and 4 putt levels were abolished by Hungary’s Tokaji trade council. These have been superseded with the term ‘late harvest’ or ‘szamorodni’.
Aszú Eszencia is made purely from noble rotted grapes and is the rarest, sweetest and therefore most expensive expression available. It has the ability to age for decades. Only the best Sauternes from the best vintages and the finest trockenbeerenauslesen from Germany can match this Hungarian nectar.
Sauternes
Sauternes lies within the Graves district of Bordeaux to the southeast of the city. Nestled between the Garonne and Ciron rivers, there are five communes that make up the region. Barsac is the only one allowed to choose between its own AC or the broader Sauternes appellation.
The famous 1855 classification of Bordeaux’ best châteaux included the cream of Sauternes and Barsac too. It identified no less than 9 First Growths (vs just 4 for red Bordeaux) and 11 Second Growths. Additionally, the special designation of ‘Superior First Growth’ was created solely for Château d’Yquem. Recognition for this extraordinary estate, singling it out from every other Bordeaux wine producer.
Sémillon, Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle, in that order of importance, are the three permitted grape varieties. Sémillon is especially susceptible to botrytis while Sauvignon adds acidity and Muscadelle, perfume.
Rheingau
The first late harvest wine made from nobly rotted grapes in Germany came from the Rheingau region. The historic Schloss Johannisberg estate made the ‘accidental’ discovery in the mid 1770’s. It sparked a new wine style that has been revered and replicated here, and in other German regions ever since.
So what makes this small region so special? The simple answer is geography.
We’re talking about a mere 18 mile east/west stretch of the River Rhine between Wiesbaden and Bingen-am-Rhein. The Taunus mountain range on the north bank of the river provides the perfect south-facing slopes for viticulture.
The vineyards mostly run vertically with the gradient, while the steepest sections are terraced and run obliquely. With maximum exposure to the sun, the grapes have no trouble ripening. There’s a wide variety of soil types across the valley too which highlight the distinction between each ‘Lage’, or ‘vineyard’.
Riesling is king in the Rheingau. Proportionately, at nearly 80%, there’s a higher concentration of this variety than in any other German wine region. The wines here tend to be fuller, richer and more exotic in flavour than elsewhere. The sweetest wines can evolve almost indefinitely when cellared properly.
Other Notable Noble Rot Wines
From Bordeaux
I’ve already referenced the village of Barsac which has some excellent properties. These include the likes of Châteaux Climens, Coutet and Doisy-Védrines. The style here is a little more delicate and refined, when compared with Sauternes, but there’s still great intensity.
If you want to bag a bargain, look out for St Croix du Mont and Loupiac. Both lie on the opposite side of the river Garonne and deliver lighter versions at a fraction of the price.
Sémillon is the common denominator that links all of these wines.
From Loire
In the central vineyards of the Loire Valley, you’ll find Vouvray, Coteaux du Layon, Bonnezeaux and Quarts-de-Chaume (Loire’s only Grand Cru). All are exemplars of much more florally-scented sweet wines from the Chenin Blanc variety.
From Alsace
Heading east into Alsace, it’s the late harvest Rieslings, Gewurztraminers and Pinot Gris’ that provide the wow-factor. These are classified as Vendange Tardive or Selection de Grains Nobles.
From Germany
German labelling can be challenging so for the best sweet wines, look for the terms Auslese, Beerenauslese (Ba) or Trockenbeerenauslese (Tba) . Expect to pay a hefty whack for the best but the reward you get in return is totally worth it. Especially if you research your producer and vintage before parting with your cash.
All three styles are affected to varying degrees by noble rot. Auslese being the lowest concentration and Tba the highest. Like the putts system in Tokaji, these correlate directly to the minimum level of residual sugar in the final wine.
The real beauty of these wines is their naturally lower alcohol levels, generally ranging between 6.5-10.5% abv. There’s absolutely no risk of their powerful and complex flavours being masked by alcohol. I’ve witnessed the great Ernie Loosen declare on several occasions, “you can drink yourself sober with these wines!”.
Other countries to look out for in terms of botrytis-affected wines are Austria (with similar classifications to Germany), Australia, Chile, Italy, New Zealand, South Africa and the US.
The Best Way to Enjoy Them
This is always an entirely subjective thing but here are some ideas to help get you started.
The general rule when matching sweet with sweet is not to let the food outdo the wine. So, for example, you might pair a German auslese with a baked fruit tart, like an apple strudel. A rich, 6 putts Tokaji works with an equally rich, dark chocolate cake with marmalade.
Equally you could go the other way and put the wines against savoury or even spicy, fragrant dishes. Thai or Szechuan food and sweet Riesling or Gewurztraminer works brilliantly, as does a rich pâté with Sémillon or Tokaji.
Cheeses, especially creamy blues, work beautifully with the Loire Chenins. I can still clearly recall a lightbulb moment when I tasted an exceptional Coteaux du Layon with a creamy Roquefort!
The one overarching piece of advice I would give is not to serve these wines too chilled. To appreciate the full spectrum of flavours in these spectacular wines, treat them as you would a fine dry white. That is about halfway between fridge and room temperature.
Since quitting my sales job earlier this year, I’ve become much more fond of Mondays and today’s tasting with Maison Chanzy’s head of Digital Sales and Customer Experience, Nicolas Corne, reinforced this sentiment IN SPADES.
Over the course of two and a half hours, Nicolas generously gave us his time to show no less than 10 whites (2 Aligotés and 8 Chardonnays) and 7 Pinot Noirs, which included 5 Premier Crus and 3 Grand Crus, while giving us a comprehensive overview of the wines. He also gave us a potted history plus latest developments for this sizeable but quality-led producer.
Here are my notes on the ten whites tasted and when I think they’ll be best enjoyed (in the same order tasted):
2017 Bouzeron Les Trois
100% Aligoté blended from three vineyards or climats, ‘Les Clous’, ‘La Tournelle’ and ‘Les Cordères’. Lovely and bright with a pale lemon core, this is vibrant with a sherbet lemon intensity. You can also sense the limestone-clay soil both from the ‘fumé’ aroma and through the heart of this wine underpinning the floral, citrus fruit. The mouth-watering but balanced acidity is accentuated by the six months spent in stainless steel. Ideal now until 2023.
2019 Bouzeron Clos de la Fortune (Monopole)
The oldest part of this exclusively-owned vineyard was planted in 1963. The yield is therefore small but the flavours in the grapes are super-charged. Chanzy makes just three barrels of this wine in an average year which equates to around 880 bottles. One barrel is new while the other two are well used. For a wine so young, this wine is highly expressive. The youthful but complex aromas hit your nostrils long before the glass reaches your nose. There’s a gentle floral spice, green coffee bean and even a touch of caramel. It’s linear in the mouth yet textured and has great balance and freshness. The flavours linger long after swallowing. I’ve never tasted Aligoté like this and I’m not surprised to learn that this is the best-selling wine in the wine bar. Enjoy from 2023-27.
2020 Bourgogne Chardonnay Les Fortunés
Just bottled (end of May) so very young. Although the 2019 is still the current vintage, Nicolas wanted to show me Max’s latest release. The wine has a raw, natural feel from the lively aromas to the pithy texture in the mouth. There’s the scent of lemon and wet pebbles and flavours of grapefruit and slightly under ripe melon. Expressive yet elegant and should integrate nicely with another six months in bottle. Enjoy from 2022-24.
2019 Rully En Rosey
From a relatively high altitude vineyard (230m) and east facing, so gets the morning sun. The soils have a high calcium content and are very rocky. Max vinified this in stainless steel only and chose not to agitate the lees. Put all these elements together and they translate into a fairly taut wine with grippy acidity in this youthful stage, almost prickly and yet it still has a lovely roundness. I love the delicate floral scents and lemon curd-like tang on the palate. Enjoy from 2023-26.
2018 Rully Les Cailloux
This climat sits right next door to En Rosey. 2018 gave a smaller than average yield but it was a hot year and the fruit was therefore picked much earlier than usual. The acidity is noticeably softer than the En Rosey giving the wine a creamy sensation in the mouth but despite this it still has an overall leanness. The texture reminds me a little of a Chablis from a ripe vintage. There’s a touch of nuttiness on the nose too, a result of the ten months ageing in used 450 litre oak barrels. Ideal now until 2024.
2018 Mercurey Les Caraby
The wines from this village are generally weightier and richer than Rully and this has a lot to do with the marl-based soils with large limestone deposits. The Les Caraby climat lies on the south side of the village and faces south and south-east on a gentle slope. This wine is full, rich and expansive in the mouth and accurately reflects the warmth of the vintage. It finishes opulently with a touch of creaminess and spiciness too. Ideal now until 2024.
2019 Santenay Premier Cru Beaurepaire
This climat sits at the top of a hill and is slightly cooler than the more renowned Les Gravières vineyard. If you’re a fan of the fuller-bodied styles of white burgundy like me, this will be right up your street! A clear step up from the Mercurey, this is full but has a lovely saline streak that keeps it lively. Gently spiced from the ten months spent in small used barriques of 228 litres, this also lends an appealing buttery note along with undertones of hazelnut and acacia. I like this a lot. Enjoy from 2022-29.
2019 Puligny-Montrachet Les Reuchaux
This vineyard abuts the road that runs through Puligny village to Meursault. Just two barrels made which equates to around 600 bottles. This is very young and was quite closed in the glass with little aroma present. Also, quite taut in the mouth but you can see the components are all there, various white stone fruit flavours, floral hints, good acid structure and a touch of oak nuttiness on the finish. Enjoy from 2024-29+.
2019 Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru La Garenne
If you wanted a demonstration of why Premier Cru vineyards are superior to Village level vineyards, then look no further. This site is up on the hill overlooking Les Reuchaux and is made using exactly the same methods and produces two barrels only, just as the previous wine. The only way I can describe this is it’s like turning up the volume from 1 to 10. Although it’s also young, it’s far more open on the nose and has much greater volume and intensity on the palate. A very smart and impressive wine. Enjoy from 2024-34+.
2018 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru
This famous Grand Cru vineyard faces south and south-east and spans two villages in the Côte de Nuits, Aloxe-Corton and Pernand-Vergelesses. It sits on a high ridge between 280-330m above sea level and the soils are calcareous marl, similar to Mercurey. As soon as the glass draws near you can smell the intensity and complexity in this multi-faceted masterpiece. There are grilled nuts, yellow fleshed stone fruits, even a touch of exotic fruits, vanilla bean and coffee too (30% of the wine is fermented and aged in new French oak). Very expansive in the mouth but with a juicy core of acidity holding it all together. The flavours linger on and on after swallowing and no, I didn’t spit any of this wine! Outstanding. Enjoy from 2023-38+.
• For more background on this progressive producer, click here
This was my first introduction to Maison Chanzy. I heard about them just as I was leaving Alliance Wine to turn to freelance content writing.
Taking advice from my former boss, another fellow Burgundy lover, I bought a few bottles of their more affordable wines to try back in May and was really impressed. So I was keen to set up a visit.
Where Exactly is Maison Chanzy?
The Cotswold-like village of Puligny-Montrachet may look quaint and unassuming from the outside, but looks can be deceiving. Behind those limestone façades lies some of the world’s greatest white wine domains.
Being mildly obsessive about Chardonnay, and Burgundy in general, this is about the closest I’m going to get to wine utopia. Something my wife clearly noticed by my animations as we approached!
As we drive along the Rue des Creux de Chagny onto Place des Marroniers, it’s easy to spot the newly opened Maison Chanzy wine bar and tasting room on the opposite side of the square.
Occupying the former family home of Vincent Leflaive of Domaine Leflaive fame, the imposing 18th Century house now proudly bears the ‘Maison Chanzy’ name.
Chanzy’s Impressive Tasting & Events Venue
As we enter the building, it’s immediately apparent that its new owners have invested heavily here.
The fully-restored 16th Century vaulted cellars are the centrepiece for the wine bar and tasting room which extends outside, to the rear of the building, to a large terrace and courtyard-style garden.
The floor above is being converted into an impressive venue space.
Nicolas Corne, Chanzy’s head of digital sales and customer experience, is our host and begins by giving us a quick tour.
A Room Dedicated to Le Montrachet
My ears prick up when he shows us a smaller cellar off the main vaulted room which, he proudly tells us, will hold bottles of Le Montrachet from all 21 producers.
In other words, a collection of arguably the greatest single-vineyard Chardonnays that money can buy.
This, in itself, is worth a revisit!
Bouzeron: Maison Chanzy’s Spiritual Home
In 1974, Daniel & Catherine Chanzy bought and renamed a 50-year-old, 8 hectare domain in the commune of Bouzeron.
It lies between the villages of Rully and Santenay in the Côte Chalonnaise region of southern Burgundy.
Bouzeron village was promoted to AOC status in 1997 for its still white wine made exclusively from Aligoté. This makes it the only Village AOC in the entire Burgundy region dedicated exclusively to this grape.
Over the years, the Chanzy couple not only extended their Bouzeron holdings to 15 hectares, they purchased additional vineyards too.
Plots in nearby Mercurey, Santenay and Rully as well as further afield in Puligny, in the Côte de Beaune, and Vosne-Romanée, in the Côte de Nuits, took the domain to 38 hectares.
In 1997 they completed work on a new cellar and adjoining laboratory to accommodate their increased production. In 2001, Daniel and Catherine were officially joined by their son and daughter.
Maison Chanzy Changes Hands
In 2012, the Chanzy family sold their estate to another prominent wine family from Santenay aided by a group of investors. Five years later, this new consortium acquired a majority stake in Domaine Pagnotta, another local Chalonnaise producer.
This effectively doubled their vineyard holdings to 80 hectares and overnight, made them the largest vineyard landowner in the Côte Chalonnaise.
Chanzy Adds Top Burgundy Wines
The final crucial component in the Chanzy portfolio, that was instigated by Jean-Baptiste Jessiaume – the former group’s head winemaker, is the négociant side to the business.
Essentially, using long-term contracts, they gained access to grapes and white wine musts (freshly pressed grape juice) from some of the most prestigious vineyards in the entire region. In other words, Grand Crus and top Premier Cru wines in the Côte de Beaune and Côte de Nuits appellations.
A New Chapter at Chanzy
In 2019 Max Blondelle, former head winemaker for Domaine Chanson, joined the fold. He instigated a fairly radical change to the winemaking philosophy which is already showing great results in the newest vintages, some of which I tasted.
Max has a very ‘hands-off’ approach in the cellar and is more interested in expressing the key natural elements that affect the grapes. Namely the soils on which they’re grown.
The owners are also fully committed to sustainability and biodiversity in the vineyards. They’ve already achieved Haute Valeur Environnementale Level 3, the most respected certification for agriculture in France. They’re also joining a fast-growing trend in the region towards organic viticulture and all their vineyards are currently in conversion, aiming to be certified from the 2024 vintage.
More on Max’s Winemaking Philosophy
I ask Nicolas if Max is an advocate of using whole bunches in his red wine ferments, a trend that is becoming increasingly popular around the world for more vibrant, elegant wines. He explains that as Max is focused on terroir, texture and rounder tannins in his wines, he’ll use anything between 20-100% whole bunches in his ferments.
When it comes to oak, Max uses it sparingly to build texture or nuanced flavour rather than adding obvious structure or tannin. Although he prefers to use the traditional 228 litre Bourguignonne oak barrels at present, he’s open-minded enough to experiment and is currently trialling six foudres (very large used oak casks) as well as other intermediate sizes.
He’s also trialling four different coopers so he’s clearly a ‘details’ man. He replaces only 15% of his barrel stock every year saving the new oak mainly for the top Premier Crus and Grand Crus.
• For my notes on the whites tasted today, click here
• For my notes on the reds tasted today, click here
Here are my notes on the wines tasted and when I think they’ll be enjoyed at their best (all tasted in this order and all best served between 10-12°C):
2018 Saint-Véran
This appellation runs to the north of Pouilly-Fuissé and south. Bénédicte explains that 85% of their vineyards are in the north and 15% are in the south next to Beaujolais.
Vinified in stainless steel only, with battonage (lees stirring) to improve mouthfeel and add a little fatness. This has a freshness that reflects the chalky and granitic soils upon which the vines are planted.
The aromas are lifted with citrus and peach notes dominating and a faint whiff of hawthorn flowers. It has a lovely salty tang in the mouth on entry after which follows a finely textured, ripe-fruited wine with a clean and refreshing finish. Nice length. The perfect partner for sushi and shellfish.Ideal now until 2025.
2019 Pouilly-Fuissé, Tête de Cuvée
Bottled in January/February this year, this is the flagship wine of the estate and blends hand-harvested grapes from 45 different climats scattered across Fuissé and Solutré. Fuissé’s soils are mostly clay based while Solutré’s are limestone. The former adds weight and richness and the latter, freshness and salinity. 70% of the wine is fermented in oak barrels ranging from new to 5 years old. Around 20-30% of this component is new wood so relatively little.
This clearly feels young but the nose is quite full and assertive already. This vintage is around 30-40% lower than average so there’s plenty of concentration. The oak is a little pronounced at this stage but not in a bad way. It has floral elements and plenty of ripe melon and fresh grape scents. Rich and powerful on the palate, it has a mineral touch and the oak is surprisingly well-integrated for such a young wine. A lovely persistent finish rounds it off nicely. Pan-fried fish with an herb butter sauce would be ideal.Enjoy from 2022-28.
2018 Pouilly-Fuissé, Les Combettes
A small, north-east facing vineyard towards the western edge of Fuissé, flanked to the west by a small patch of woodland. This is a 0.8 hectare vineyard and produces just 2,000 bottles. There’s a high limestone content in the soil which becomes very evident when you taste the wine. One of the climats set to be promoted to Premier Cru. 100% fermented in 3-5 year old barrels.
On the nose, the oak is well concealed behind the citrus and white flower scents. This is linear in the mouth showing a soft but marked acidity that keeps a sense of precision. It’s elegant and harmonious and shows a nice floral and white peach character with a touch of spice from the oak. This would work really well with Monkfish or Salmon but no creamy sauces.Ideal now until 2024.
2018 Pouilly-Fuissé, Les Brûlés
Sitting on the top of the hill around 200-250m away from Les Combettes, this south-facing vineyard, also destined for Premier Cru status, is aptly named due to its full exposure to the sun (‘brûlés’ meaning burnt). The soil is a mixture of blue clay and marl with limestone pebbles. In an average year, they produce around 3,000 bottles. In 2021 there will be half that due to the extensive frost and hail damage. The corpulence and structure of this wine means that it can take 100% new oak for both fermentation and maturation.
Interestingly the oak doesn’t dominate either the nose or palate as might be expected for a relatively young wine. There’s great intensity of fruit and spices too, like a classic apple Tarte Tatin. Expansive on the palate, there’s a lovely mineral freshness underlying the textured fruit, hazelnut and spice notes with an underripe pineapple-like bite on the finish. It lingers on and on. Pair with turbot, skate wing or even poultry with a creamy sauce.Enjoy from 2022-28.
2018 Pouilly-Fuissé, Le Clos (Monopole)
A mere 20-30 metres away from Les Brûlés, this solely-owned vineyard rises up a gentle slope from the rear of the Château. This will be the only Monopole Premier Cru vineyard from 2020. Clay at the bottom of the vineyard adds weight to the wine, marl in the middle adds finesse and balance and limestone at the top brings freshness and minerality. The vineyard was re-planted in 1929 by Bénédicte’s Great Grandfather Jacques and some vines have been replaced, when necessary, over the years. Some are over 90 years old and many are still over 50 with the youngest around 30-35 years old. In 2020, they started picking on the 25th August. This year it will be a month later! New oak is only used for the clay component and the rest goes into used oak.
Power and intensity make the first impression as soon as the glass moves under the nose. There’s hazelnut and frangipane and the soft floral tones of ripe, yellow-fleshed fruits too. Another powerhouse on the palate but lovely balance and salinity from the limestone component making it complex and well integrated. Multi-layered and weighty yet wonderful finesse too. The finish is outstanding and doesn’t stop. This can handle more flavoursome foods similar to Les Brûlés, plus rich pâté’s and Asian influenced fish and poultry dishes. Enjoy from 2023-30.
Once the tasting had finished in the historic ante-room, within the 15th century pentagonal tower, Bénédicte walked us round to the base of the Le Clos vineyard to show us the three single-vineyard plots relating to the last three wines that we’d just tasted. This was a great way to understand how the characteristics of the vineyards translated through to the wines.
• For an overview on this iconic producer, click here
