During recent years, white wine drinkers have been practically shunned the tried and true friendliness of Chardonnay, but slowly this trend seems to be reversing. One place to begin the revival of this well-loved grape is in the French section of the wine shop. However, this can be a most intimidating place for a consumer looking for a nice bottle to enjoy with dinner. The label is written in French (for those lucky bilinguals) and instead of helpfully splashing the grape variety all over the place, an area or even specific vineyard is heralded making it difficult to be sure what the bottle contains. Fear not, this territory can be vanquished!
Pouilly Fuissé (poo-yee fwee-say) is a wine quite commonly overlooked simply because other areas are better known and easier to pronounce (Chablis). However, the appellation of Pouilly Fuissé is a great place to find beautifully balanced, rich and ripe Chardonnay with price tags substantially lower than the options from the acclaimed Côte de Beaune.
A Tour of Burgundy
Burgundy is a large and very popular region in France and many of the world’s most lauded wines are carefully made here. There are two grape varieties most common in the region, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir (with white Aligoté and red Gamay close behind) and are usually the opposite of comfortably affordable. There are five main areas of Burgundy where wine is produced, Chablis, the Côte d’Or (including the Côte de Beaune and the Côte de Nuits), Côte Chalonnaise, Mâconnais and Beaujolais.
Pouilly Fuissé is a tiny area surrounded by the expansive Mâcon. Here the climate is warmer than elsewhere in Burgundy and the attitude to life heralds entry into the south of France where farming is as crucial to the locals as winemaking. Chardonnay is the main grape planted in the Mâconnais, but it is in Pouilly Fuissé that the finest examples are found. The grapes are grown on a series of impressive slopes which naturally catch the sun and help to attain the richness displayed in the wine. These grapes respond beautifully to barrel ageing that brings forth tropical flavors of melon and guava, a lush nuttiness and full body.
One note, be aware of another region easily confused with Pouilly Fuissé, except this one, Pouilly Fumé, is located in the Central Vineyards of the Loire Valley and produces exceptional wines from the Sauvignon Blanc grape.
Making the Choice
It is accepted fact that the best wines come from small producers, often family owned for generations, as this is where the heartfelt passion for winemaking is found. One such example in Pouilly Fuissé is found in the wines of Nadine Ferrand. She and her two daughters run the small estate and produce a handful of carefully crafted gems. Look for anything from the 2005 vintage as this was an exceptional year for wines from this region.
