Pouilly-Vinzelles Climat „Les Quarts“ Cuvée Millerandée Zen AOC 2023

Wine Description for Pouilly-Vinzelles Climat „Les Quarts“ Cuvée Millerandée Zen AOC 2023 from La Soufrandière

Colour & Appearance

Powerful golden yellow, radiant and brilliant in the glass – a visual promise of concentration and maturity.

Nose

Here reveals itself a Chardonnay of remarkable elegance and inner composure, which effortlessly holds its own with the greats of the Côte d’Or. The nose captivates through crystalline precision: citrus fruits and stone fruits meld with saline nuances and a whisper of verbena into a harmonious, never intrusive aromatic profile. Nothing pushes forward – pure balance.

Palate

The attack seamlessly continues the elegance of the nose. With creamy texture the wine flows across the palate, structured by powdery-fine phenolics and a ripe, vibrant acidity that lends it tension and freshness. Supremely juicy, yet lean and precise – not a gram of unnecessary fat. The rich extract gives the wine substance without heaviness, a remarkable achievement.

Finish

Long, cool and with a slightly austere finish that tempts you to take another sip immediately. The aftertaste is characterised by mineral freshness.

Terroir & Origin

The roughly 2-hectare parcel „Les Quarts“ is home to some of the vineyard’s oldest vines (48–80 years) on vibrant clay-limestone soils of the Bajocian with silicate crystals. The south-easterly hillside location at 230 metres elevation provides optimal conditions for physiological ripeness.

Grape Variety & Vinification

100% Chardonnay, cultivated biodynamically. Selective hand-harvesting, whole-bunch pressing, spontaneous fermentation and 17 months of ageing on lees, partly in stainless steel, partly in used barriques. The ZEN philosophy forgoes sulphur entirely during fermentation and ageing – only minimal sulphur is added at unfiltered bottling.

Food Pairing Suggestions

Scallops with butter sauce, lobster, pan-fried turbot, veal sweetbreads in cream sauce, poultry in cream sauce, Comté or aged Beaufort.

Special Features

A Pouilly-Vinzelles that impressively demonstrates the potential of its appellation and shows that great Chardonnay need not necessarily come from Puligny or Meursault. The minimalist interventionist vinification allows terroir and vines to speak for themselves.