Pouilly-Fuissé Premier Crus

Pouilly-Fuissé Premier Crus

Pouilly-Fuissé is one of Burgundy’s great appellations. A natural amphitheatre, gently sloping to make the most of its perfect, southerly aspect. It’s one of the Burgundies for true Burgundy lovers – its wines revealing layers of complexity and depth. And yet, perhaps because it is in the Mâconnais, rather than on the Côte d’Or, it has long seemed a little overlooked when compared to its northern cousins like Meursault and Puligny-Montrachet.

In 2020, the winemakers and grape growers of Pouilly-Fuissé at last achieved what they – and Burgundy lovers in the know – had long felt was overdue: the recognition of specific sites within the appellation as being of quality worthy of Premier Cru status.

Burrier were not merely ‘involved’ in achieving this recognition: they spearheaded the movement. ‘My father was the ex-President of the Union of Pouilly Fuissé Wine Producers,’ Baptiste tells us. ‘So he led this process for almost 20 years. He was not alone in doing this job – he was the leader with all the wine growers in Pouilly-Fuissé and the INAO, the French organisation in charge of all the AOC regulation in France.’

The process was a long, arduous and detailed one. Extensive studies of the terroirs and their wines, long discussions – and no small amount of red tape. But at last, in 2020, 22 distinct Premier Crus were identified in law. ‘I think consumers have realised that they can find really incredible wines here in the south of Burgundy, with quality comparable to the best appellations of Côte-d’Or, and for a much more attractive price,’ Baptiste says. ‘The recognition of the Premier Crus here in Pouilly-Fuissé is clearly changing the perception of our area.’