Pouilly-Vinzelles Climat "Les Quarts" AOC 2021 1500ml Magnum

A Chardonnay that barely announces its intensity on the nose, only to reveal it all the more candidly on the palate. The aromas remain fine and full of finesse, almost intellectual: dried mint, verbena, dried violet flowers and a hint of tree bark meet ripe lemon and lemon zest. Pale golden yellow in the glass.

The Climat Les Quarts is among the finest terroirs of the Pouilly-Vinzelles appellation. The vineyard faces southeast, the soil is stony clay-limestone, rich above all in iron, from the Bajocian of the Jura. The Chardonnay vines here are between 48 and 80 years old, and the plot has been ploughed with a horse since 2008. Jean-Philippe and Jean-Guillaume Bret took over the estate founded in 1947 by Jules Bret in 2000 and converted it to biodynamic viticulture.

Pure Chardonnay, hand-harvested from 18 to 23 September 2021. Whole-cluster pressing, spontaneous fermentation, followed by 17 months of ageing: eleven months in barrels and foudres, then in foudres, with complete malolactic fermentation. Total sulphur is 34 mg/l, pH 3.22. 12.5% vol., dry.

Here the wine opens up, showing power and depth: white- and yellow-fleshed fruit, citrus notes, a touch of tannin and a bright acidity that lends tension. The citrusy, slightly austere character combines with the silky texture from lees ageing and a pronounced salinity.

Ceviche of monkfish cheeks with leche de tigre, yuzu and celery, fennel risotto with red mullet fillets, or fennel salad with oranges, burrata, lemon-ginger oil and coriander seeds.

La Soufrandière has been Ecocert-certified organic since 2003 and has carried the Demeter seal since 2006, which also appears on this Magnum's label.