Everything about Domaine Gilles Noblet’s Pouilly-Fuissé “La Collogne” is old school: the artisanal winemaking techniques at play, the pitch-perfect balance of orchard fruit and pulsing minerality, and, above all, the pricing. A lot of ink is (rightly) spilled these days about how Burgundy used to be—the wines less showy, the prices more reasonable. But values can still be had in Burgundy, and we’re here to bring them to you. At well under $40 per bottle, Noblet’s phenomenally elegant and complex “La Collogne” would be a certified Chardonnay steal even if it didn’t come from the world’s most hallowed wine region. Seeing as how it does, though, and how it carries all the class, polish, and elegance we expect from great white Burgundy with a practical guarantee that it’ll outperform its price tag, it’s safe to say it’s one of the best values we’ve offered this year. Who knows if it’ll be such a steal in a few years’ time. Stock up now!
We’ve seen a renewed interest in the Mâcon, Burgundy’s southern stretch, over the past decade or so. It’s no wonder why, with prices in the Côte d’Or rising ever higher, but the truth is that true Burgundy aficionados have long known that the Mâcon is capable of greatness. That reputation rests largely on the strength of Pouilly-Fuissé, an appellation whose limestone-laden clay soils closely resemble those from more famous villages to the north. In the Mâcon’s relatively flat and gentle landscape, Fuissé stands out for its drama: densely planted Chardonnay vines encircling a massive, 1,600-foot-high limestone outcropping known as Roche de Solutré. And it’s where the Mâcon’s most dramatic wines are made, too, it’s here that the region’s open-knit fruit is buttressed by crackling freshness and minerality. So singular are Pouilly-Fuissé’s vineyards that, as of 2020, 22 of the village’s climats have earned “Premier Cru” status.
The Noblet estate comprises 12 hectares of vines spread across the Mâcon, Pouilly-Loché, and Pouilly-Fuissé appellations. The cellars themselves are located in the town of Fuissé, where the family follows strictly traditional methods of production. “La Collonge” is fermented in large oak vats and 225 liter-barrels (never more than 20% of which are new), as has been done with the Noblet wines for the near-century they’ve worked vines. The average vine age here is 45 years, with some of their most prized Fuissé holdings reaching over 75 years of age. They’ve achieved the highest sustainability certification in Burgundy, and crop their vines at a modest 45 hl/ha (the Côte d’Or standard for Premier Cru sites). All of it makes for a bottle that checks every white Burg box and then some.
Serve Noblet’s “La Collogne” just below cellar temp in a Burgundy bowl, just as you would some Chassagne or Puligny. It pours shimmering pale yellow with silver flecks. The nose is a rush of luscious orchard fruit and stones: fresh-cut red apple flesh, pear skin, white peach, raw cream, acacia flowers, chalk, wet river rocks, and the faintest air of woody spice. The palate is firmly medium-bodied, foregrounding the earthy and mineral accents of the nose, before filling out with golden fruit. It’s a rock solid bet for fantastic mid-term aging, and a welcome reminder that not all white Burgundy has to be an aristocratic showpiece. No, Burgundy’s best place of all might just be on your weeknight dinner table, an achievable dream with Noblet’s Pouilly-Fuissé!
