Burgundy is the grand staircase of single-vineyard wines; it is the incubator of
terroir, a fresh idea and eventual way of life pioneered by the Cistercian monks. One can spend a lifetime getting to intimately know the personality of every pocket, dotted line, dip, and slope, so we ask ourselves, “Is there room for another name, another less familiar place, or friend?” After we tasted this newcomer monopole, “Clos des Carras” from Camille Paquet, we say, “Yes!”
While we tend to typecast Burgundy as the “classic” region for Chardonnay, it does not mean that “classic” is repetitive and static. Terroir is ever-evolving, and a new generation of winemakers are putting their faith in the smallest parcels with the greatest care. It is an extraordinary time in Burgundy for the Who? What? and Where? of these great wines. Outliers, like Camille Paquet, are the reason we keep coming back to the hidden pockets of Burgundy—especially when we get so much wine for such an outlier of a price!
It can be hard to wrap your brain around ancient geology: The Rock of Solutré began to take shape 160 million years ago, formed by coral plateaus of the ancient sea. As the Alps stretched towards the sky, certain regions of Burgundy sank and others rose, creating a soft landscape of rounded hills, valleys, and isolated big rocks of limestone, like Solutré. In France, the greatest white wines come from broken-down limestone soils. Whether it is a tiny, family-owned parcel from a Premier Cru in Chablis or the sweet middle slope of Puligny-Montrachet, limestone matters—and when we say “limestone,” we are referring to decomposed limestone, which is mostly calcium carbonate. Calcium carbonate is not acidic, but rather basic, or alkaline (resulting in a PH level higher than 7). Grapevines that function in slightly alkaline environments absorb more minerals and nutrients (due to sufficient water retention and an easier cation exchange from soil to plant) and attain their acidity during harvest. Also, the ability of calcium carbonate to crack allows the roots of a vine to penetrate deeper into the soil, where they can access these essential minerals and water.
Over time, wind and rain chipped away at the Rock of Solutré, causing a gradual erosion, ultimately laying the foundation of terroir for the southern Mâconnais and Pouilly-Fuissé. “Clos des Carras,” barely outside the boundary of Pouilly-Fuissé, faces the Rock of Solutré. The impressive, odd-shaped rock, a symbol of prized Burgundian terroir, wraps its cozy shadow around Paquet’s six hectares of organically farmed Chardonnay. In a “stars aligned” vintage like 2016, this wine is a flawless diamond of soil-to-glass, with less than 200 cases produced.
“Clos des Carras” is quite new to the US market, but its young winemaker is hardly an amateur. Camille Paquet grew up in the Mâconnais at his father’s estate, Domaine des Valanges. Since its inception in 1980, the family estate expanded their ownership of vineyards over several appellations, including Saint-Véran, Pouilly-Fuissé, and Mâcon-Villages. An exposure to different types of vineyards, coupled with parents who embraced creativity and freedom in the cellar, quickly cultivated Camille’s skills as a farmer and a winemaker. In 2013, Camille’s father, Michel, passed-on “Clos des Carras” to Camille, which enabled him to set up his own Domaine. The vines were planted in 1977, and before Camille’s takeover, part of the Chardonnay fruit was sold to the accomplished Thévenet family (with whom Camille also apprenticed). The first vintage from Domaine Camille Paquet was 2014 and made its debut at a premier San Francisco steakhouse by the glass, where California-centric wine drinkers were happily ordering White Burgundy instead of their usual Sonoma fix.
For the 2016 Macon-Solutré “Clos de Carras,” Camille fermented the Chardonnay in steel with natural yeasts, followed by an aging period of 10 months in two-year-old Burgundy barrels where partial malolactic conversion occurred. The wine was bottled from its lees with a gentle filtration to preserve its star-bright clarity. In the glass, a pale straw shimmers with flecks of gold. The 2016 vintage has gusto mixed with Chablis-like precision—more similar to 2014 that ’15 in this regard—and reminds us why Chardonnay from the limestone soils of Burgundy is tricky to replicate from somewhere else, no matter how cold, foggy, or stony that somewhere else is. On the palate, chalky wet stone crumbles into a burst of creamy, lemon-lime, freshly cut yellow apple, and crunches of hazelnut. The texture of fruit is balanced by high-wire acidity, and an almost sweet-salty mineral grit. Pour the wine into Burgundy stems, and let it unwind for 30 minutes to show its brisk fragrance, wave, and curl. This wine is simply delicious on its own, so don’t try it with anything too fierce. I’m craving pasta with peas and pancetta; the zesty green tones of the dish contrast nicely with the creamy, lemon-lime texture of the wine. Take a chance on a less traditional pairing, try this one here, and have fun with Chardonnay!
