Pouilly-Vinzelles Climat „Les Quarts“ Zen AOC 2023

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

Colour & Appearance

Vibrant straw yellow with a subtle yet unmistakable amber shimmer – a first, honest signal of minimalist vinification.

Nose

The nose displays a quiet, almost meditative complexity. Low in sulphur, the wine reveals gently oxidative notes: soft yellow apples, fully ripe pears and a fine spicy weave of mace, pale tobacco and a whisper of acacia. No loud proclamation – rather a discreet whisper from the undergrowth of the Mâconnais hills.

Palate

The attack is surprisingly gripping and powerful. Firm tannins – the result of whole-bunch pressing and extended lees ageing – contour the wine with an almost atypically Burgundian texture. Spice dominates the palate, fruit steps back elegantly. The ripe acidity acts nonchalantly in the background, carried by a fine, invigorating phenolic structure. Those who take their time and observe the glass experience the development in real time – a living, breathing wine.

Finish

Long, dry and spicy. The phenolic structure persists without tiring. A finish that poses questions and invites the next sip.

Terroir & Origin

The parcel „Les Quarts“ comprises merely 0.69 hectares at around 250 metres elevation in Pouilly-Vinzelles, one of the quiet treasures of southern Burgundy. Red clay over limestone – a terroir that imparts depth and grip, giving the Chardonnay an unusually earthy, almost tactile dimension.

Grape Variety & Vinification

Chardonnay, farmed biodynamically. Whole-bunch pressing, spontaneous fermentation, approximately 17 months on lees. No added sulphur during fermentation and ageing, minimal dosage at unfiltered bottling – a wine that consistently eschews intervention and leaves the terroir to speak for itself.

Food Pairing Suggestions

Ideal with aged Comté or Époisses, with calf’s sweetbread with morels, white asparagus with beurre noisette or a classic Poulet de Bresse à la crème. Also on its own, after a long day, it is perfectly in its element.

Special Features

The „Zen“ in the name is a statement of intent: this wine is no spectacle, but rather a philosophy. La Soufrandière ranks among the most consistent natural wine addresses of the Mâconnais – and this single-vineyard wine is their quiet manifesto.