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2017 Pouilly-Fuissé “La Croix Vieilles Vignes”
Domaine Robert-DenogentNico Robert
Young brothers Antoine and Nico at Robert-Denogent are stars of the Mâconnais, and rightfully so: they farm incredibly old vines in the region’s top terroirs, allowing their vineyards to shine through organic farming and all-natural vinifications. They are continuing what their father, Jean-Jacques Robert, started in 1988 when he took over the family’s vines and began bottling his own wines. Jean-Jacques drew inspiration from the great master of Morgon, Marcel Lapierre, and Kermit himself—peers whose passion for terroir-driven wines had a tremendous impact on his career.
The vineyard La Croix is unique in the Mâconnais for its schist soils, a sort of black sheep in an appellation composed nearly entirely of clay and limestone. Scorned by other local vignerons, La Croix is one of Nico and Antoine Robert’s most prized parcels. They liken it to certain sites in the Jura more than to any other Burgundian terroir. And indeed, the ripe Chardonnay fruit is decisively lean and wiry, finishing on a crunchy note of salted butterscotch you might associate with whites from the likes of Ganevat or Rousset-Martin. The brothers raised this 2017 for three years in a combination of vessels including used barrels, concrete tanks, and amphorae, capturing the best of all worlds.
—Anthony Lynch
Wine Type: | white |
Vintage: | 2017 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | Chardonnay |
Appellation: | Pouilly-Fuissé |
Country: | France |
Region: | Burgundy |
Producer: | Domaine Robert-Denogent |
Winemaker: | Antoine and Nico Robert |
Vineyard: | 79 years, 2 ha |
Soil: | Blue Schist |
Aging: | Aged 30 months in barrels |
Farming: | Biodynamic (certified) |
Alcohol: | 14.3% |
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About The Producer
Domaine Robert-Denogent
About The Region
Burgundy
In eastern central France, Burgundy is nestled between the wine regions of Champagne to the north, the Jura to the east, the Loire to the west, and the Rhône to the south. This is the terroir par excellence for producing world-class Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
The southeast-facing hillside between Dijon in the north and Maranges in the south is known as the Côte d’Or or “golden slope.” The Côte d’Or comprises two main sections, both composed of limestone and clay soils: the Côte de Nuits in the northern sector, and the Côte de Beaune in the south. Both areas produce magnificent whites and reds, although the Côte de Beaune produces more white wine and the Côte de Nuits more red.
Chablis is Burgundy’s northern outpost, known for its flinty and age-worthy Chardonnays planted in Kimmeridgian limestone on an ancient seabed. Vézelay is a smaller area south of Chablis with similar qualities, although the limestone there is not Kimmeridgian.
To the south of the Côte de Beaune, the Côte Chalonnaise extends from Chagny on its northern end, down past Chalon-sur-Saône and encompasses the appellations of Bouzeron in the north, followed by Rully, Mercurey, Givry, and Montagny.
Directly south of the Chalonnaise begins the Côte Mâconnais, which extends south past Mâcon to the hamlets of Fuissé, Vinzelles, Chaintré, and Saint-Véran. The Mâconnais is prime Chardonnay country and contains an incredible diversity of soils.
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Kermit once said...
Kermit once said...
I want you to realize once and for all: Even the winemaker does not know what aging is going to do to a new vintage; Robert Parker does not know; I do not know. We all make educated (hopefully) guesses about what the future will bring, but guesses they are. And one of the pleasures of a wine cellar is the opportunity it provides for you to witness the evolution of your various selections. Living wines have ups and downs just as people do, periods of glory and dog days, too. If wine did not remind me of real life, I would not care about it so much.
Inspiring Thirst, page 171