Pouilly-Fuissé, the Queen of the Mâconnais

In March, some of my New York City wine friends and I had our group's first blind tasting session of 2023, and our theme this time...Burgundy varietals: Chardonnay and Pinot Noir!

It was a great opportunity to share some pretty cool facts I learned through my Wine Scholar Guild course about the Premier Cru designation of Pouilly-Fuissé, arguably the most highly regarded wine of the Mâconnais:

(1) As of the 2020 vintage, Pouilly-Fuissé was the first Mâconnais appellation to achieve Premier Cru status for 22 climats! The last time a Premier Cru level was recognized in a Burgundy appellation was 1943.

(2) Pouilly-Fuissé AOC covers 4 communes, Fuissé, Solutré-Pouilly, Vergisson and Chaintré, and is an appellation for white wines from Chardonnay only.

(3) Most people usually equate "Premier Cru" or "Grand Cru" with "the better" or "the best", but interestingly, the leaders of the appellation seemed to focus not only on quality but also consistency of character across the Premier Cru designation, requiring (among other things):

(a) Vineyards to be located on Jurassic clay-limestone soils;

(b) Vineyards to be located at a maximum elevation of 400 meters above sea level; and

(c) No use of chemical herbicides.

Quality was still a major factor, with blind taste tests conducted while the climats were being considered for Premier Cru status.

Thanks to Wines ‘Til Sold Out for supporting my Bourgogne studies, as they sent me this 2021 Les Grands Crus Blancs Pouilly-Fuissé Premier Cru and gave me the opportunity to share the knowledge about this awesome appellation with my wine friends. The Mâconnais often has a reputation for ripe, ample Chardonnays, given its southern position in Bourgogne, but this wine surprised us a lot with its fresh citrus and mineral notes.

Follow along if you want to learn more about Burgundy with me!