This wine is derived from a rare, historic vineyard in a pocket of Burgundy that still delivers incredible value. Pouilly-Fuissé, an appellation dedicated solely to the production of Chardonnay, is less than an hour south of Chassagne and Puligny-Montrachet nestled within Burgundy’s Mâcconais sub-region. Although Pouilly-Fuissé does not possess a Premier or Grand Cru, the charmed appellation boasts superb lieux-dits (named vineyards), which deliver wines derived of ideal soil, elevation and aspect for a fraction of the Côte de Beaune equivalents, when crafted in the right hands. Case in point is this example from Château des Rontets ‘Clos Varambon.’ This Clos, or walled vineyard, boasts vines over 70 years of age that were predominantly planted at the conclusion of World War II. The historic and celebrated Clos Varambon delivers incredibly concentrated fruit, precise minerality and graceful balance that harkens back to Grand Cru examples from the Côte de Beaune at a fraction of the price.

 

Château des Rontets has weathered many a vintage. The estate went through a turbulent time during the Revolution and was confiscated. In 1848, Château des Rontets was sold to a wine merchant who built the current Château. After changing hands a couple of times, the estate finally landed in the hands of Monsieur Varambon by the 1850s. His family has remained the faithful stewards of Château des Rontets since then. Today, François Varambon's great-granddaughter, Claire, and her husband, Fabio, are at the helm of the business. Their mature vines, derived from limestone soils, have been farmed organically since 2005. Following manual harvest, the fruit is fermented in a combination of used 30-hectoliter, 400-liter and 228-liter French oak barrels, which allows for the purity of terroir to shine. The wine is aged on its lees for 12-18 months. Following the aging process, the wine is lightly filtered with the gentle Kieselguhr method and is bottled without filtration, which allows the final product to reveal its ultimate aromatic expression. Claire and Fabio’s organic farming and traditional winemaking approach reveals a wine of concentration and elegance that can easily compete with top whites from all of Burgundy.