2023 Pouilly Fuisse Clos de France

Merlin's smallest cuvée of around 1500 bottles, the 2023 Pouilly-Fuissé Clos de France 1er Cru offers orchard fruit, apricot and quince, tight-lipped at first but opening nicely in the glass. The palate is smooth and slightly honeyed in texture, spicier than the Sur La Roch but without quite the same grip and density on the finish. Still, this is a fine Pouilly-Fuissé that might have more to give with bottle age.