Pouilly-Fuissé Climat 1er Cru "Au Vignerais" Zen AOC 2023

A white Burgundy that holds together richness and tension: a creamy, silky entry underpinned by a bright, luminous acidity that gives the wine a firm structural backbone in its youth. In the glass, a deep golden yellow with a silvery rim, bright and clear. A complex wine that calls for large glasses and rewards patience.

The premier cru climat «Au Vignerais» lies in Vinzelles in the southern Mâconnais, facing southeast at around 250 metres of altitude, on limestone and clay soils. The vines average several decades in age. La Soufrandière dates back to 1947, when Jules Bret acquired one hectare in the Clos de Grand-Père; since 2000 the estate has been run by Jean-Philippe and Jean-Guillaume Bret, joined by Marc-Antoine in 2010. The twelve hectares spread across Pouilly-Vinzelles, Pouilly-Fuissé and Saint-Véran are farmed biodynamically, partly with horses.

Pure Chardonnay. Manual work and yield reduction in the vineyard, hand harvest, whole-cluster pressing, spontaneous fermentation. Ageing takes place mainly in used Burgundy pièces on fine lees, with no sulphur added during fermentation and ageing; only a minimal dose is added at the unfiltered bottling.

The nose is expansive and open-hearted: fully ripe stone fruit with yellow-red skin and a waxy sheen, fully ripe lemon, alongside saline notes reminiscent of crushed oyster shells, and a delicate top note of wild fennel greens and chervil. On the palate it flows with power and a high degree of vibrancy, carried by saline minerality and supportive phenolic structure.

Pairs with sole in beurre blanc, pan-fried turbot and scallops on fennel vegetables, as well as roast chicken with lemon and herbs or aged Comté.

Premier cru from the Mâconnais, organically certified by Ecocert since 2003, Demeter since 2006, with the Demeter logo on the label. 13.5% vol., dry.