Georges Duboeuf built a name on Beaujolais, but the Mâconnais hills of southern Burgundy are where his house turns out white wines with real weight. This one comes from Clos Reyssie in Pouilly-Fuissé, a 2019 Chardonnay that sits at 13% and carries its richness without ever getting heavy.
- Chardonnay, the only grape of Pouilly-Fuissé.
- Pouilly-Fuissé, Mâconnais, southern Burgundy.
- 2019, a warm year that gave generous fruit.
- Dry, medium body, high acidity.
- 13% ABV, 750ml.
How it is made
Pouilly-Fuissé is a village appellation of the Mâconnais, the strip of Burgundy that runs south of the Côte d'Or. The rules are strict: Chardonnay only, nothing else. The vineyards sit on limestone and clay, the same kind of ground that gives white Burgundy its spine, and the wines are usually fermented and aged in oak, often with some proportion of new barrels.
How it tastes
White peach and lemon curd lead, then hazelnut and wet stone come through underneath. There is a buttery, rounded finish that comes from the oak and the warm vintage, but the acidity is high enough to keep the whole thing taut. Honeysuckle and lemon balm sit on top. Dry, with power and finesse, which is the old shorthand for this appellation and still the right one.
Good to know
Pouilly-Fuissé was granted its own appellation in 1936, and in 2020 a set of premier cru vineyards was finally approved after more than a decade of lobbying. The name has nothing to do with Pouilly-Fumé in the Loire, which is Sauvignon Blanc. Two different wines, two different grapes, one confusingly similar name.
