Château Fuisse Pouilly Fuissé Le Clos 2020

The 2020 Pouilly-Fuissé Le Clos ler Cru which comes from the walled vineyard, the only officially-recognised Premier Cru monopole of 2.68ha, the vines east-facing on three soils- clay at the bottom, marl in the middle and limestone at the top. It was picked on 30 August. The nose is quite reticent at first, so leaving the wine in my glass for 10 minutes, it really opens and shows its complexity thanks to the mélange of soils, honeysuckle and dried honey, lime and faint hints of liquorice. The palate is very well balanced with good depth, real weight and presence here, texturally-satisfying with impressive persistence on the finish. Excellent, but wise owls will cellar this for several vears before broaching.

Located in the heart of the village of Fuissé itself, on thin clay and marl soils over limestone at the top of the slope. The oldest vines were planted in the 1920s; average age is 60 years old. The wine is aged in cask on the lees and stirred every fortnight. It is a rich style, with a nose that is almost honeyed, showing floral notes and a ripe apple, almost pineapple fruit. The texture is dense and very long; it is a classic of the region and very traditional in style.

More subtle though not invisible wood with the same hint of vanilla frames the lemon and floral aromas of essence of green apple. The sleek, intense and overtly mineral-driven flavors terminate in a bitter lemon-inflected finish that is clean dry and sneaky long. This gorgeously textured but seriously powerful effort is more refined and a wine that should amply repay mid-term cellaring. Excellent.