Chablis, Mâcon & Côte Chalonnaise

After many years, premiers crus were finally recognised in Pouilly-Fuissé from the 2020 vintage. Château de Fuissé are delighted and proud that their superb monopole vineyard that sits just next to the historic château has been recognised with this classification. It is a 2.7 hectare vineyard, home to many old vines, some of which were planted as far back as 1929. The youngest vines you’ll find here are actually from 1984. There is real intensity in this wine, with toasty, candied lemon peel notes and a subtle anise lift on the nose. The palate is powerful in its concentration and textural complexity, packed full of peach, nectarine and a smattering of fresh ginger. The finish is mineral, saline and persistent, this wine is built to last! It is no surprise it has been upgraded.

This is a brilliant blend of the appellation, drawn from over 50 separate parcels, 4 of which are now actually premiers crus but produced in too small volumes to be bottled separately. This all makes for a very complete and complex portrait of the region. Just over half of the parcels are on Fuissé’s typically clay soil, with the rest on limestone and sandy schist soils. Two thirds of the wine is aged in oak, with 20% of that new oak. The wine displays vibrant nectarine aromas, with a smooth, silky body. This is the flagship wine of the estate, and performs every year.

Hard to put down. At first it is pretty, floral and inviting on the nose. The palate abounds with densely packed stone fruit flavours, cut through by a fresh, taut line of acidity, showing wonderful tension. It comes from three neighbouring parcels near the cellar, from vines with an average age of 45 years. The additional clay in the soil here gives added depth and length to this cuvée.

This comes from three neighbouring parcels near the cellar, from vines with an average age of 45 years. The additional clay in the soil here gives added depth to this cuvée, as well as more longevity. This is such an enjoyable wine: it has ripeness and personality in spades, with a razor-sharp line of acidity slicing through to a long finish.

This cuvée was new to us in 2021, although Samuel has been making it since 2016. It sees Samuel with his négociant hat on, sourcing some excellent grapes from Mâcon and making a citrus fresh and zingy Chardonnay.

This comes from three parcels, which are spread across the top, middle, and bottom sections of the premier cru. It is straight and incisive, with a concentrated, saline flicker on the finish. There’s a nice balance between fruit and minerality in this premier cru.

A premier cru that often punches with the Grands Crus, Mont de Milieu is a charming, intense, powerful Chardonnay in 2016. There's notes of oyster shell and gun flint, as well as orange peel and spice. Delicious and will only get better.

Vaulorent is technically part of Fourchaume, the largest premier cru in Chablis, and is the only premier cru to share the same slope as the grand cru. It has very chalky soil and produces a wine of power and silky tension. The 2021 is so velvety and enticing, you almost don’t feel the power of the wine underneath the texture. Concentrated peach, apricot and a wonderful fresh grapefruit pithiness transcends, with a finish that is complex, long, saline and very fine - super!

Many parcels are blended into this brilliant wine, all from the Viré side of the appellation. The old vines thrive in the village’s clay-rich topsoil over limestone subsoil. The wines from this side of the appellation tend to be straighter and tighter than the more generous and rounded Clessé side. It’s a wonderfully restrained wine, showing its class in its long, precise finish.

This 2-hectare plot lies in the north of the region, and typically produces a wine with gentler acidity than the domaine’s others. Nevertheless, it is always one of the most balanced, and one of the freshest feeling. This freshness is derived from the minerality of fruit, grown on the marl soils of Uchizy. It wraps around the perfumed fruit and makes for an impeccably balanced wine.

The Chardonnay of this wine’s name actually refers to the village, although it’s a rather nice nod to the variety that is responsible for the vast majority of the wines produced in Mâcon. Clos de la Crochette is a charming walled vineyard that Dominique Lafon bought in 2003. After a little investigation he discovered it is one of the most historic sites in all of Burgundy, first planted by the monks of Cluny (c.900 AD). The energy and tension of the 2022 emphatically demonstrates why this has been a favourite spot with winegrowers through the centuries.

The Chardonnay of this wine’s name actually refers to the village, although it’s a rather nice nod to the variety that is responsible for the vast majority of the wines produced in Mâcon. Clos de la Crochette is a charming walled vineyard that Dominique Lafon bought in 2003. After a little investigation he discovered it is one of the most historic sites in all of Burgundy, first planted by the monks of Cluny (c.900 AD). The energy and tension of the 2022 emphatically demonstrates why this has been a favourite spot with winegrowers through the centuries.