Bouchard Aine & Fils Pouilly-Fuisse 2016

VARIETAL: 100% Chardonnay

TASTING NOTES: The first tastings are revealing citrusy notes as well as fresh fruits aromas underlined by woody scents...but the best is yet to come.

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: 3 to 8 years.

ORIGINS: Pouilly and Fuissé are the names of two villages in the Mâconnais region, located at the foot of the famous Solutré and Vergisson rocks. The vineyards cover a total of 850 hectares which are divided between four communes.

The vines are planted on small, steep cirques with an eastern/south-eastern exposure at altitudes of between 250 and 300 metres.

VINIFICATION AND MATURING: Vinification took place in stainless steel tanks under controlled temperatures; we intentionnally settled the temperature around 18°C (64°F) to get the purest color and rich aromas. We also chose a long alcoholic fermentation (25 days) to ensure a good dryness in the wine.

Currently the wine is still ageing to total in the end about 10 months ageing. The harvest was divided in two parts (proportions winemaker's secret...sorry!) to age in oak barrels and vats. It will enhance the natural complexity of this appellation, making the citrus aromas and minerality outstand and mix harmoniously with its rich toasted aromas. We are also using a proportion of 30% new oak barrels to get subtle woody notes. Furthermore, the malolactic fermentation will be brought to its end to make the fatness more present and the wine more supple.

VINTAGE : 2016

Our dearest Burgundy could be the embodiment of that famous motto: Fluctuat nec mergitur...because for several years now it’s been suffering the whims of the weather and has always been capable of producing great wines out of it. Once again, the vintage 2016 will be a tangible proof!

Everything started from a very mild winter...maybe too mild to be honest. Actually, we should have been more wary of that sign for it was the warmest winter the region was going through since 1900. Sometimes the gap in the temperatures compared to the seasonal norms exceeded a 100%. In addition, the rain fell in excess particularly in Côte d’Or and as a consequence the lack of sun was really important. Winter really came 3 months late, in March, but didn’t settle as the bursting of the first buds appeared at the beginning of April. So, as spring really settled, it also brought its share of climatic disasters: first, it was a hail storm that hit the South of the Mâconnais region; then, the most tragic freezing night in April, 26th stroke almost all the region from the Grand Auxerrois to Côte Chalonnaise; and finally, 2 more hail storms on the 13th and 27th May lashed over Chablis, leaving the region with almost no hope of harvest.

So until summer, we went through very difficult times and had to hope for the vines to find the strength to grow again. Somehow our wish was granted, and the vegetative cycle started again, with great gaps from one plot to another. Due to all the climatic events, the flowering came late (mid-June) but didn’t last long thanks to hot temperatures. From the month of July, the extremes reversed: the temperatures as well as the amount of sunshine exceeded the seasonal norms. Fortunately for the grape, it lasted until the end of October, allowing for a good maturity. Harvest began on September, 20th and spread over a month thanks to the great weather conditions, leaving us the opportunity to harvest each plot at its best.

Finally, the grapes we harvested were of great quality and although the plots hit by hail or frost gave almost nothing, the other had good yields. During the vinifications, the vintage quickly revealed its high quality. We are expecting the wines to be well-balanced, with a good structure and a lot of freshness as well as finesse.