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Tasting note
From their small parcel holdings at the foot of the Roche de Solutré, the Bret brothers have crafted a white Burgundy that demonstrates why the finest climats of Pouilly-Fuissé have been elevated to Premier Cru status. This 2022 “Au Vignerais” is a wine of sensual depth, effortlessly uniting ripeness and freshness.
- Colour & appearance
- Intensely luminous, pale gold – a hue that already hints at the concentration of the vintage.
- Nose
- Sensual yet assertively citrus-driven: ripe yellow citrus fruits meet preserved lemon, accompanied by a fine layer of lanolin, soured cream and a touch of biscuit. An aromatic profile that promises depth without ever feeling heavy.
- Palate
- Complex, deep, creamy – and yet electrified from the very first moment by a vibrant tension on the tip of the tongue. Fresh as well as ripe lemon notes merge with chalky, slightly iodine nuances. The result is a remarkably harmonious Pouilly-Fuissé: ripe and powerful, yet never broad.
- Finish
- Long, saline, with persistent citrus freshness and a chalky resonance that lends the wine its noble final chord.
- Terroir & origin
- The Bret brothers own just 0.49 hectares in the Au Vignerais climat – a south-facing slope on the Roche de Solutré at an altitude of 310 metres. The roughly 35-year-old Chardonnay vines are rooted in iron-rich red clay and limestone soils dating from the Bajocian stage. Founded in 1947 and run by Jean-Philippe and Jean-Guillaume Bret since 2000, Domaine La Soufrandière ranks among the most renowned estates in the southern Mâconnais and farms biodynamically with Demeter certification.
- Grape variety & vinification
- Pure Chardonnay, hand-harvested on 27 August 2022. Whole-bunch pressing, wild fermentation, followed by 17 months of maturation in used barrels with full malolactic fermentation. Bottled unfiltered and unfined, with only 37 mg/l total sulphur.
- Food recommendations
- A wine that loves delicate, aromatic cuisine: dim sum with prawns, coriander and toasted chilli, alongside pork belly dim sum with pointed cabbage or white-tea-smoked tofu with wild broccoli and carrots.
- Special characteristics
- The rare combination of a creamy texture coupled with nervous tension – born of minimal intervention in the cellar and a Premier Cru terroir that makes itself felt in every nuance.
