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Trouillet-Lebeau, Pouilly-Fuissé “Aux Chailloux”

Burgundy, France 2017 (750mL)
$34.00
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Trouillet-Lebeau, Pouilly-Fuissé “Aux Chailloux”

For all its notoriety as one of Burgundy’s great Chardonnay terroirs, Pouilly-Fuissé has never had an official classification system. But after successfully petitioning France's Institut National de l'Origine et de la Qualité (INAO), the region’s growers will soon have more than 20 Premier Cru sites to highlight on their labels—and the beautifully positioned “Aux Chailloux” vineyard, one of the appellation’s most acclaimed sites, will be one of them.
Tasting today’s 2017 from Trouillet-Lebeau leaves no doubt whatsoever that it deserves the distinction: Powerful yet refined, this is a sublimely layered, polished Burgundy Chardonnay that may well cost a lot more in the future once that “Premier Cru” suffix is added. And you know what, they’ll deserve it—the power of those classifications is considerable, because right now, the price of this wine is scandalously low given its quality. In fact, the long-awaited arrival of Premier Crus in Pouilly-Fuissé doesn’t change the fact that the lines between the Mâcon and its more-celebrated neighbor to the north, the Côte de Beaune, have been blurring for quite some time now. This $34 bottle isn’t a case of “settling” for something affordable—it’s a case of essentially doubling your money because the market hasn’t caught up to reality. If you’re looking for an impeccable ‘daily drinker’ to enjoy over the next 3-5 years, look no further—it’s here!
[NOTE: This wine will be arriving at our warehouse the week of Monday, September 30th]

It is also a wine which, like so many wines in this part of the world, has a long family history behind it—and a stand of old vines throughout the Pouilly-Fuissé appellation that has grown over three generations. Marie-Agnès Trouillet and her son, William (the 4th generation), oversee 20 hectares of vines in key villages such as Solutré-Pouilly, Fuissé, and Vinzelles, all of them in the shadow of one of Burgundy’s most dramatic sights: La Roche du Solutré, the hulking limestone escarpment that looms over the village of Solutré-Pouilly, just a few kilometers south of its near-twin, the Roche du Vergisson. In addition to boasting a near-perfect southern exposure along a slope not far from the Solutré “rock,” the Aux Chailloux vineyard takes its name from the predominance of rounded limestone pebbles, or chailles, found in its soils. It has long been recognized as one of the greatest crus in the region, cited on labels from an all-star lineup of top producers.

Trouillet-Lebeau’s vines in Aux Chailloux are among their oldest, topping 60 years of age, and the profundity they impart is evident from the very first sip of this powerful 2017. Aged for 12 months in 30% new French oak barrels, the wine has a truly impressive mix of luxurious polish and deeply ingrained minerality. In the glass, it displays a bright yellow-gold hue and a nose of yellow apple, white peach, pear, white flowers, white button mushroom, wet stone, and a hint of oyster-shell salinity. Medium-plus in body and accessible now, it blossoms quickly once opened and delivers an immense amount of pleasure right out of the gate, with a firm, focused freshness to the texture—I’ve noticed many Mâconnais whites sliding into “buttery” territory, which I do not like, but this combination of creamy, textured, and citrusy is spot-on. Decanting is optional, but pull the cork at least 15-20 minutes before serving in Burgundy stems at 50 degrees. Enjoy it regularly over the next few years with lemony chicken preparation or richer white-fleshed fish. It’s a seriously classy white Burgundy and may well still be singing 10 years down the line.
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Country
France
Region
Burgundy
Sub-Region
FrancePouilly-Fuissé
Soil
Limestone & Clay
Farming
Sustainable
Blend
Chardonnay 100%
Alcohol
13.0
OAK
30% New French
TEMP.
45-50
Glassware
All-Purpose Whites
Drinking
Now-2028
Decanting
15-20 Minutes
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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