Pouilly-Fuissé 2019
To the west of Mâcon, in southern Burgundy, Pouilly-Fuissé produces wines which are
famous the world over from a vineyard with Mediterranean characteristics.
Wines from the foot of the rocks…
Origin
The rocky outcrops of Solutré and Vergisson, emblematic of these vineyards, remind us that from a height of five hundred metres, 200 million years of history is looking down on us ! Indeed, 20,000 years ago one of the most fully evolved prehistoric cultures flourished here.
This controlled appellation, instituted in 1936, takes in the four villages of Solutré-Pouilly, Fuissé, Vergisson and Chaintré.
Our Pouilly-Fuissé comes from the several plots in the village of Solutré-Pouilly.
Viticulture
Grape variety: Chardonnay
Soils: Jurassic clay-limestone
Orientation: East/South-East
Pruning: Arcure system
Average age of the vines: 35 years old.
Vinification
Harvest date: from 6 to 11 September 2019.
The grapes were handpicked and collected in 20-kg perforated crates.
At the winery: The whole bunches of grapes were gently pressed for 2½ hours. The temperature of the must was brought down to 12°C then vatted at 70% in temperature-controlled vats. The remaining 30% were placed in 450L barrels. No settling to preserve a maximum of lees.
Ageing
Maturation: aged for 8 months on lees: 70% in stainless steel vats and 30% in demi-muid. No racking or stirring to bring out all of this wine’s minerality. No new barrels.
Barrels: French oak barrels that had been toasted at low temperatures for a long time to impart a subtle, delicate touch of oak were used.
Bottling
Bottling: end of May 2020.
Vintage
A legendary vintages?
According to Grégory Patriat, this second harvest at the Ursulines winery will go down as a legendary vintage just like 1969, 1979, 1999, 2009, and 2019, because the concentration in the wines is very high indeed. Years with drought and low yields are always great vintages in Burgundy. We had some new premier crus come online last year, with three in Chambolle-Musigny, one in Gevrey-Chambertin, and one in Nuits-Saint-Georges; Le Clos des Argillères. Furthermore, we revived our tradition of producing white wines in villages better known for their reds, with a white Fixin.
Ageing potential: from 2 to 6 years.
Tasting notes
With its beautiful pale golden color, this very charming wine develops intense aromas of white flowers and citrus, associated with notes of buttered bread. On the palate, the wine is silky, quite rich with a very nice freshness!
