POUILLY-FUISSÉ > BOUCHARD Ainé & Fils

POUILLY-FUISSÉ 2017

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2022

Varietal

100% Chardonnay.

Tasting notes

Colour: Gold with green tints, brilliant and clear.

Nose: Elegant, fairly reticent, very mineral with flowery, vegetal undertones enlivened with a honey note.

Palate: A fine, pure wine, very smooth. Aromas of citrus fruit in its youth, white fruit such as pear (after 1 to 2 years in bottle), then hints of hazelnut and toasted almond enrich the palate.

Food and wine pairing

The perfect accompaniment for shellfish, quenelles, fish, frogs' legs, white meats in a cream sauce, whitebait, poached poultry, sweetbreads...

Serving suggestions

Serving temperature: 10 to 12°C / 52°F.

Ageing potential

This wine can be enjoyed from now or kept in the cellar for 6 years.

Origins

The Pouilly-Fuissé appellation is situated in the south of the Maconnais’ vineyards. It spreads across the villages of Fuissé, Solutré-Pouilly, Vergisson, and Chaintré.

As soon as the incline increases, in the south of Mâcon, around the renowned rocks of Vergisson and Solutré, the vineyard of Pouilly-Fuissé, on clay-limestone soil from the Jurassic era, entirely covers the abrupt hills on little parcels of steep slopes. The harvest is of approximately 40 000 hl for 761 hectares of vines.

On banks of crinoidal limestone, the vineyard lies on the sides and at the base of the rocks on gravelly scree and clay-limestone soils dating back to the Jurassic period. Note also the clay soils on a granitic bedrock in the westernmost part of the appellation.

Steep incline/Eastern, south-eastern exposure/Altitude of 200 m to 350 m.

Vinification and maturing

The grapes are gently pressed to extract the highest quality juice possible. The resulting must is placed in a temperature-controlled vat for settling (12 to 24 hours). This settling operation is crucial in our quest for aromatic purity. The must is then racked and placed in temperature-controlled stainless steel vats (16-18°C) for alcoholic fermentation. Ageing in stainless steel vats on lees (80%) and in oak barrels (20%) for 8 to 10 months.

Vintage : 2017

In 2017, Burgundy succeed at both quality and quantity levels.

After many vintages impacted by the climatic variation, Bouchard Ainé & Fils recover with the 2017 vintage, a very satisfactory harvest. Not only because the volumes will allow to supply the markets but also because the wines already offer the desire to discover this very elegant vintage.

After spending the winter building up their strength, the vines profited fully from a very warm spring, with budburst in early April ensuring a head start in terms of the growth cycle that was maintained right up to the harvest. The plants progressed from stage to stage free from hindrance, and by mid-June, were flowering before rapid fruit set. An early vintage was confirmed.

During the summer, a few spells of heatwave alternated with more mixed weather. However, ripening continued at a good pace and by the end of August, the first grapes were being picked, two weeks ahead of average. Harvesting continued until mid-September as each plot reached peak maturity.

Harvest started on the first week of September in Burgundy and ended on September the 30th in the late parcels. The grapes were in exceptional health and required virtually no sorting. Everyone was very enthusiastic about this fabulous fruit, its peak ripeness, and the volumes produced.

The Chardonnay grapes for the white wines were picked at peak ripeness, wine aging is on process and promises wines with a very nice balance.