Region
Mâconnais
Appellation
Pouilly-Fuissé 1er Cru
Grape variety
Chardonnay
Situation
The 1.15-hectare Les Perrières vineyard is situated to the south of the amphitheatre, on mid-slope just beneath the parcel of Le Clos. Exposed south-south-east, the slope here is steeper than it is on the Clos.
Age of the vines
The vineyard, which was planted in 1972-1974, is about to celebrate its 50th birthday.
Soil
The soil, which is derived from alluvial deposits, consists of a mix of deep silt and clay containing few stones. The subsoil features streaks of limestone and limestone marls, while the top layers, which are moderate in depth, are littered with stones on the surface.
Vinification
Fermentations and ageing take place in casks of which 25% of cask new, 75% of cask from 1 to 3 wines for 10 months. Then the ageing ends in stainless steel tank always with all their lees for another 9 months.
Bottling took place at the end of March 2023.
Tasting
Always the most racy cuvée!
The delicate nose intensifies after some opening time and reveals lemon aroma, zest and vebena. Its mouth, both tense and dense, is tasty.
Food pairing
Thai chicken curry, scallops in a mild curry sauce, veal in a creamy sauce flavoured with vanilla and raisins, creamy cow's milk cheeses.
Vintage
As has become the norm over the course of recent years, winter was mild and the heavy rainfall in autumn 2020, allied to those of January, created a generous cushion of hydric reserves for the growing season to come. But the mildness of the weather around the time we finished our winter work in the vineyard was only equalled by the growing sense of foreboding we felt as the mercury began to climb and the vegetation began to grow.
Our fears were not unfounded. After the rain... came the rains... Some of them came in the form of gentle drops of moisture that echoed the beads of the rising sap, others were bitter harbingers of losses to come. After the cruel, cold nights of 6, 7 and 8 April, when the black frosts laid a blanket of Siberian temperatures across the length and breadth of France's agricultural regions - grape-growing zones in particular - we shook in our shoes as we walked the vineyards to measure our losses.
Nevertheless, against all expectations - even given the situation in the south of Burgundy and the relatively early growth of the vines in that region - the vineyards of the South Mâconnais escaped largely unscathed. Our hearts swollen with optimism as a result of our good luck, we pursued our work of training and topping the vines, tasks necessary for the traditional trellising techniques used in our vineyards. Initially we welcomed the first rains of May wholeheartedly, remembering the droughtridden challenges of previous years. Time passed. Our attitude towards the rains changed from joy to concern, and then the rainfall became overwhelming. The 145 millimetres of rain that fell - about twice the usual level in May - left us no choice but to abandon our "enjambeur" tractors in favour of backpacks containing anti-fungal sprays. Our efforts were not in vain. The vines remained in perfect health, despite the threat of mildew, exacerbated by such humid conditions.
But we still had not exhausted the challenges that the year was to set. In July
the rains began to fall again. This time we saw water levels reach 150 millimetres, in contrast to the 40 millimetres that fell in 2020, while temperatures remained stubbornly well below the seasonal average. We knew that any let-up in our ongoing battle against the weather would allow downy mildew to win the war. Meanwhile, powdery mildew was trying to muscle in on the action throughout the growing season. Thankfully, all the hard work we put into protecting our vines, in tandem with our organic viticulture, in which our bywords are 'little and often', helped us to avoid serious damage.
At the start of August, growth was a fortnight behind the decade's average, but the weather gave us a bit of respite as the rains retreated. These conditions lasted right up until the end of summer, although we weren't to know that at this stage.
Although the weather forecast in early September caused some concerns - and the threat of unsettled conditions persisted throughout harvest - we decided to begin picking on 17 September.
Luckily, the sun shone and temperatures rose to a level above the norm for the time of year, allowing the grapes to finish ripening. The good weather settled in, and we only saw one rainy day over the course of harvest.
This year, more than any other in recent memory, we have had to rely on our work in the winery to ensure the quality of our wines. Never before has our
grape selection process been so drastic, our pressing so carefully monitored or our settling musts been so judiciously dosed with sulphur. The impact of our work in the winery, as grapes were transformed into wine, has never been as important as it was during the course of this year. It has been the key to the production of wines that show both liveliness and depth.
It's certainly the smallest harvest ever gathered on the property, but these cuvees are a source of great pride.
Notes of jasmine, verbena and lime, and a mouthwatering palate with saline minerality, are lent structure by a long, fresh finish in the wines from this bright vintage.