Granges Pouilly Fuisse 22

As we near the end of 2021, there's no doubt that this has been another crazy year, and a lot of that craziness continued to filter down to the wine world. Ongoing issues due to the pandemic, global shipping difficulties, and more odd-ball weather-related problems continued to make this one of the most challenging years to keep the supply of our favorite beverage flowing. I have to admit; I was more than a little worried about Burgundy. Thankfully, those worries were unfounded, and most of our favorites made their way to the AWM shelves.

I feel fortunate indeed that I've been able to forge some great friendships in the wine world. The wonderful vignerons, importers, negotiants, and brokers I've met over the years are consummate professionals, and I am thankful for their tireless effort and guidance during another challenging year.

Despite the problems of 2021, thanks to my network of brokers and winemaking friends in Europe, I could still source wines from all of our favorite regions, including Burgundy. Best news — I can offer most of these at 2020 prices.

The Macôn is all about Chardonnay, and for me, it's the epicenter of affordable Chardonnay from Burgundy. The most famous Chardonnay from this region is Pouilly-Fuissé, produced in the area surrounding the two Macônnais villages of Pouilly and Fuissé.

There are other villages-designated wines named for their vineyard locations such as Mâcon-Chaintré, Mâcon-Fuissé, Mâcon-Vinzelles, and Mâcon-Charnay. Wines labeled Mâcon-Villages are regional wines from a broad area of the Mâcon and blended from village sites throughout the entire region.

The Paquet family settled in the Mâcon in the 1950s, securing vineyard property in the village of Fuissé. The family's base of operation is Domaine De Fussiacus — named after the Roman governor, who founded the village of Fuissé.

The family's vineyard holdings stretch over gentle south-east facing hills, featuring clay and limestone soils. Organically farmed vineyards, hand harvesting, and natural yeast inoculation all add up to stellar quality Chardonnay! The family vineyards were acquired years ago by Yannick's father, Jean-Paul Paquet, producing wines under the Domaine de Fussiacus and Domaine Jean-Paul Paquet labels.

After Jean-Paul passed management duties on to his son, Yannick became the third generation grower and winemaker at his family's property. Yannick is a true fanatic for detail in the vineyard and winery, and his meticulous devotion to quality leads to outstanding results in the bottle.

"Domaine de Granges" is an exclusive second label Yannick makes for our buying group.

In the glass, this wine will remind you of just how much you love White Burgundy. I love the quality and attention to detail of this Pouilly-Fuissé producer, and it's a bargain compared to other top-tier producers.

Thanks to the property's higher elevation and the calcareous soil, there's a beautiful lift and nerve in perfect harmony with a creamy richness. In your glass,
ripe red apple and yellow fruits meet citrus and preserved lemon notes on the nose, leading to a fresh and vibrant palate of perfectly balanced fruit and minerals. This outstanding example of Chardonnay is a delight on its own and will shine with roasted or grilled chicken, lighter pork dishes, and of course, seafood.

Chardonnay lover? Burgundy lover? Stock up on this outstanding Pouilly-Fuissél from one of our favorite small family vignerons.