Saint-Véran, Château Fuissé 2023 En Primeur - Case of 6

Antoine Vincent is the winemaker, having taken over from his well-known father, Jean-Jacques, while his sister Bénédicte and her husband Philip Tuinder run the commercial side. The family has been at the Virginia creeper-clad château since 1862, although the domaine dates from 1368. Inside its 15th century tower there are antiques, tapestries and even a suit of armour which has provided some amusement during our tastings! The domaine stands at 50 ha of which half lies in Pouilly-Fuissé and the rest split between Saint-Véran, Mâcon and Juliénas. Their vines are all cultivated with limited use of synthetic treatments. Their ‘Tête de Cuvée’ is a masterful blend from many sites. Le Clos is our favourite of their three excellent single vineyard wines and comes from a gently sloping site, situated just behind the château. It has recently been designated 'premier cru'. “The respect for terroir, the vintage and the Chardonnay varietal are the three essentials of the Château de Fuissé wines,” says Antoine. His wines have a natural ripeness and mineral freshness complimented by a judicious amount of oak, usually spending nine months in barrel on their lees.