Bottler: Bret Brothers/La Soufrandière, 125 rue Aux Bourgeois, 71680 Vinzelles / France
In the glass
Colour
Bright golden yellow.
Nose
Engaging notes of wax paired with tart citrus aromas, ripe stone fruit, verbena and catmint, finely underlaid with lemon curd pastry and a touch of toffee.
Palate
Serene and balanced with juicy stone and pip fruit, which is succeeded by more intense citrus notes, animating acidity, fine tannin, a touch of tobacco and a salty-caramel finish.
Character
A balanced, tense and powerful white wine that shows a remarkable presence on the palate with its tart freshness and structured texture.
Pairing
Ceviche of monkfish cheeks with yuzu, fennel risotto with red mullet fillets or a fresh fennel salad with oranges and creamy burrata.
Notes
A biodynamic masterpiece (Demeter certified) from 48 to 80-year-old vines in one of the absolute best vineyard sites of the appellation, gently ploughed by horse, spontaneously fermented and bottled with minimal sulphur additions (29 mg/l).
Tasting note
Colour & Appearance
A clear, bright golden yellow shines in the glass.
Nose
The aroma is remarkably complex and sophisticated. It opens with a fine waxy note, supported by tart citrus aromas and ripe stone fruit. Subtle nuances of verbena, catmint and fresh pastry with lemon curd marry with a delicate hint of toffee.
Palate
On the palate, this Chardonnay presents itself as self-assured and masterfully balanced. A juicy, mouth-coating fruit of yellow stone fruit dominates the first impression. With a little air, the tart, zesty notes of citrus fruits gain intensity. The vital acidity builds a gripping tension and enormous pressure.
Finish
The finish is long and gripping. It bids farewell with a fine salinity, nuances of caramel, a touch of tobacco and a structured, grippy tannin.
Terroir & Origin
The grapes come from the legendary Les Quarts vineyard site in the Pouilly-Vinzelles appellation, a top south-east-facing parcel. The soil consists of siliceous and iron-bearing clay and Bajocian (Jurassic) limestone. The vines are between 48 and 80 years old and root deeply into this living subsoil, which has been traditionally ploughed by horse since 2008.
Grape Variety & Vinification
100% Chardonnay, hand-harvested on 26 and 27 August 2022. Following whole-bunch pressing, spontaneous fermentation took place with wild yeasts. The wine matured for over 17 months: initially eleven months in barrels and foudres, followed by a final phase in foudre with complete malolactic fermentation. Bottling was carried out with a minimal total sulphur of just 29 mg/l.
Food Pairings
Superb with monkfish cheek ceviche with leche de tigre, yuzu and celery, a creamy fennel risotto with red mullet fillets or a refreshing fennel salad with oranges, burrata, lemon-ginger oil and coriander seeds.
Special Features
The domaine is run by brothers Jean-Philippe, Jean-Guillaume and Marc-Antoine Bret and is officially certified biodynamic according to Demeter guidelines. The bottling in the 1.5-litre magnum promises exceptional ageing potential for this extremely terroir-driven, unfiltered white wine.
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