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Daniel et Julien Barraud, Mâcon-Fuissé

Other, France 2017 (750mL)
$29.00
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Daniel et Julien Barraud, Mâcon-Fuissé

There was a time when Burgundy’s Mâcon region was considered kind of déclassé, but if you still feel that way in 2020, you’ve got a lot of catching up to do. As perhaps best exemplified by the Barraud family’s sensational lineup of wines, the Mâcon is home to a trove of seriously delicious, hand-crafted white Burgundies that can be had for a song. 
And with Domaine Barraud, you get all the Burgundian romance and authenticity you could ask for: The estate is small, family-run, has been farmed organically for generations, and sits beneath the Roche de Vergisson, one of Burgundy’s most visually striking landmarks. For just $29, meanwhile, today’s wine gives you all the riveting Burgundy Chardonnay character you could ask for: old-vine depth, tactile minerality, racy freshness…the whole package. Behind the simple label is one serious white Burgundy, one that should be purchased by the case and relied upon to elevate many great meals to come. As far as I’m concerned, it’s a prestige pick disguised as a daily drinker—don’t miss out!
Burgundy is an eternal study session, and the Mâconnais is brutally confusing, even for wine-savvy geography nerds. It is a splattering of noncontiguous vineyard areas between Beaujolais (to the south) and the Côte Chalonnaise (to the north). The all-encompassing appellation is the Mâcon AOC, which includes the store-shelf staple Mâcon-Villages. In the southern cradle of the region is Pouilly-Fuissé, the most famous sub-appellation, where a handful of producers make phenomenal wines in an area between the villages of Vergisson and Solutré-Pouilly, or more fittingly, “The Rocks.” Domaine Barraud is based in Vergisson, with about 27 acres of vineyards there and elsewhere in the heart of the Mâcon, including Fuissé—which, in the case of today’s wine, the Barrauds chose to highlight by labeling it Mâcon-Fuissé (Pouilly-Fuissé, by contrast, may come from four different communes, of which Fuissé is one).

So, while the label may be one of few words, this wine has a lot to say: The source vineyard in Fuissé sits at a high altitude and faces southeast, with soils that contain flint-like chaille stones mixed with Jurassic limestone and clay. The organically farmed vines average 35 years of age, yielding a wine that is simultaneously concentrated and electric, as all the best Mâcon wines are: The region is known for a broader-shouldered style of Burgundy Chardonnay, but the best ones also have the kind of tension found in Côte de Beaune whites like Puligny-Montrachet and Meursault.

Fermented and aged in French oak barrels and bottled unfined and unfiltered, this 2017 from Barraud is an explosive, wonderfully pure white Burgundy; it drinks beautifully right now after a 30-minute decant but it sure to improve over the next 3-5 years as well. In the glass, it shines a deep yellow-gold with flecks of green at the rim, unleashing aromas of ripe yellow apple, white peach, lemon curd, crushed oyster shells (of which many are found in the Barraud vineyards), raw hazelnut, citrus blossoms, and wet stones. The wine is a lithe middleweight, with good concentration on the mid-palate followed by a zesty, fresh finish. Pair it with a roast chicken slathered with lots of herbs for a prime spot in the white Burgundy comfort zone. An unbeatable pairing and an incomparable value! Enjoy!
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Country
France
Region
Other
Sub-Region
FranceFuissé
Soil
Limestone/Clay & Flint
Farming
Organic
Blend
Chardonnay
Alcohol
13.0
OAK
20% New French
TEMP.
45-50
Glassware
All-Purpose Whites
Drinking
Now-2025
Decanting
Optional
Pairing
Herb/Lemon Roasted Chicken

France

Bourgogne

Beaujolais

Enjoying the greatest wines of Beaujolais starts, as it usually does, with the lay of the land. In Beaujolais, 10 localities have been given their own AOC (Appellation of Controlled Origin) designation. They are: Saint Amour; Juliénas; Chénas; Moulin-à Vent; Fleurie; Chiroubles; Morgon; Régnié; Côte de Brouilly; and Brouilly.

Southwestern France

Bordeaux

Bordeaux surrounds two rivers, the Dordogne and Garonne, which intersect north of the city of Bordeaux to form the Gironde Estuary, which empties into the Atlantic Ocean. The region is at the 45th parallel (California’s Napa Valley is at the38th), with a mild, Atlantic-influenced climate enabling the maturation of late-ripening varieties.

Central France

Loire Valley

The Loire is France’s longest river (634 miles), originating in the southerly Cévennes Mountains, flowing north towards Paris, then curving westward and emptying into the Atlantic Ocean near Nantes. The Loire and its tributaries cover a huge swath of central France, with most of the wine appellations on an east-west stretch at47 degrees north (the same latitude as Burgundy).

Northeastern France

Alsace

Alsace, in Northeastern France, is one of the most geologically diverse wine regions in the world, with vineyards running from the foothills of theVosges Mountains down to the Rhine River Valley below.

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