Pouilly and Fuissé are two distinct villages in the Mâconnais region, but their wines and those from the villages of Vergisson and Chaintre are sold under the Pouilly-Fuissé appellation. For generations, the wines of Pouilly-Fuissé have been spoken of in the same breath as other great wine regions, like Meursault and Montrachet, from the ‘Golden Triangle’ of Burgundy whites. In 2010, an application was made to obtain Premier Cru status for this winemaking region, and in 2020 it was granted. It was a long and difficult process; far from relying on their quality alone and being a mere formality, it was a process which involved analysis of almost everything that went into making a wine—terroir, slope, aspect, soil, elevation, culture, history, pricing—and that was before the tastings began. Though Pouilly-Fuissé is the newest Premier Cru to find a fan base in the US market, it is surely one of the finest. Getting to know these new wines is a truly mouth-watering prospect for drinkers—and producers—in the years to come.
Pouilly-Fuissé
Pouilly-Fuissé should be elegant and full of charm, with its distinctive minerality to the fore. It ranges in color from pale to golden, and the nose, often dominated by flinty smoke can be nutty, floral, citric, biscuity, grassy and honeyed, making this one of the most varied of the white Burgundies. Terroir plays heavily in the wines from this appellation, and accounts for the enormous number of named vineyards being bottled separately. An experienced taster can distinguish zones and even individual vineyards. Pouilly-Fuissé, well made, is opulent and structured. Rich and complex, Pouilly-Fuissé has a characteristic hint of minerality which makes it work with some noble ingredients like crustaceans (king prawns, lobster, crayfish) and foie gras. When acidity and minerality are in balance, it goes well with white meats such as veal or poultry in cream sauce, as well with the goat's cheese that the region is famous for. Its aromatic power means it can also match spicy and perfumed dishes such as couscous, tajines, or sweet-and-sour oriental dishes.
White wines only.