Chateau Fuisse Pouilly-Fuisse Le Clos 2022 750ml

The arrival of 22 Premiers Crus in Pouilly-Fuissé from the 2020 vintage was a significant moment for this Mâconnais appellation, and this wine from the `22 vintage is the first to win a place in our Best In Show selection. The vineyards themselves, of course, have been there for centuries, so in terms of aroma, flavour and weight nothing has changed: Pouilly-Fuissé was always one of the most generously contoured white wines in Burgundy, and it remains so. Premier Cru, though, provides an opportunity for the spotlight to swing onto individual sites. This site is clearly outstanding: wealth, warmth and comfort sings out of the glass of this pale gold wine. It’s mouthfilling, broad and amply articulated, rich with a high-summer generosity of nuts, grasses, straw and pounded hazels and almonds; the finish is long, vinous, broad but finally neatly tailored and without any undue heat. A benchmark example of this unique and much-loved appellation in an enduring and alluring vintage. (DWWA 2024 Platinum Medal)

• Country: France
• Region: Burgundy
• Appellation: Maconnais
• Sub Appellation: Pouilly Fuisse
• Size: 750ml
• Color: White

Varietal

Chardonnay

Of all the white wine grape varietals, surely the one that has spread the furthest and is most widely appreciated is Chardonnay. This green-skinned grape is now grown all over the Old and New Worlds, from New Zealand to the Americas, from England to Chile, and is one of the first varietals people think of when considering white wine grapes. Perhaps this is because of its huge popularity, which reached a peak in the 1990s, thanks to new technologies combining with traditional methods to bring the very best features out of the Chardonnay grape and allow its unique qualities to shine through. Most fine Chardonnay wines use a process known as malolactic fermentation, wherein the malic acids in the grape juice are converted to lactic acids, allowing a creamier, buttery nature to come forward in the wine. No grape varietal is better suited to this process than Chardonnay, which manages to balance these silky, creamy notes with fresh white fruit flavors beautifully.