2011 Pouilly Fuisse en France

The 2011 Pouilly-Fuisse En France comes from vines planted in clay-like soils close to the castle in the center of Vergisson. It has a pretty, stony bouquet with hints of limestone and oyster shell that gradually build in the glass, but never become overpowering. The palate is well-balanced with crisp acidity, a grainy texture and a composed lime and Granny Smith finish that lingers long in the mouth. Very fine. Drink now-2018. Lying in the shadow of the Vergisson “rock” in the namesake picturesque village lies one of my favorite Macon producers: Daniel et Martine Barraud (though from 2012 that will probably change to Daniel et Julien, representing the father and son team). They represent the fourth generation to work the land after Julien’s great-grandfather arrived in 1890. They commenced domaine bottling as early as 1939, albeit in a small basis. This is a rudimentary winemaking without any frills, the wines mostly matured in around 15% new oak and no more. Where it happens is out of the vineyard and their 8.5 hectares of Chardonnay. Julien, who has been at the domaine since 2006, told me that they have been farming organically since 2005, though it is only now that they are considering applying for certification. The 2012s are still in barrel and so we tasted through the 2011s, which have been in bottle since early last year. “In 2011, there were not a lot of grapes,” Julien explained, “but there was a lot of juice because the skins were very thin.” He believes that similar to the 2001s the 2011s will surprise a few people with time as the wines age. For anyone seeking an introduction to the heights of Macon, Domaine Barraud would be near the top of my list. Importers: North Berkeley, Oakland, CA; tel. (510) 336-9880;, Michael Skurnik, Syosset, NY; tel. (516) 677-9300, Vintners Select, www.vintnerselect.com and others.