Château des Quarts : Pouilly-Fuissé 1er Cru "L'Orangerie du Château des Quarts" 2023

Characteristics and tasting advice for the Pouilly-Fuissé 1er Cru "L'Orangerie du Château des Quarts" 2023

Tasting

Appearance

Clear and radiant, the wine displays a beautiful yellow hue, ranging from pale to golden.

Nose

The aromatic bouquet opens with an expressive intensity of stone fruits such as peach and apricot, intertwined with citrus notes. Delicate floral touches, almond, along with subtle spicy and toasted nuances enhance the whole, supported by a fine mineral backbone.

Palate

The attack is flavorful, lifted by light peppery notes. The palate reveals a superb balance between volume and freshness, driven by a crystalline, mouthwatering acidity. The texture, both round and slightly creamy, unfolds fruity flavors that extend into a persistent finish marked by minerality, citrus zest, and delicate woody touches.

Food and wine pairings

This great white wine pairs beautifully with seafood such as grilled fish, oysters, scallops in cream sauce, or lobster bisque. It also enhances poultry in sauce, mushroom or asparagus risotto, as well as soft cheeses such as brie, camembert, or young comté.

Serving and cellaring

Enjoyable in its youth to appreciate its fruity brightness, this wine can also be cellared and enjoyed until around 2031.

The alliance of two emblematic figures for a great wine from Burgundy

The estate

Located in the southern part of the region, the Château des Quarts was founded in 2011 as an equal partnership between two renowned winemakers: Olivier Merlin, a specialist of the Mâconnais, and Dominique Lafon, a celebrated producer from Meursault. Still at the helm of the estate today, the two men combined their talents to restore the prestige of a historic terroir in Chaintré. Surrounded by high stone walls, the property stands out for its monopole status and its deep commitment to environmentally respectful viticulture, producing wines of great precision.

The vineyard

The "L'Orangerie" cuvée comes from a parcel of nearly half a hectare planted in 2015, located on a plateau near a historic building of the estate. This vineyard within the Pouilly-Fuissé appellation reaches an altitude of around 230 meters and benefits from an ideal southeast exposure for grape ripening. The vines are planted on clay-limestone soils rich in fossils, cultivated using organic methods, without chemical weedkillers and with exclusively manual harvesting. The planting density is particularly high for the region, reaching 10,000 vines per hectare.

The 2023 vintage holds particular significance for the estate, as it marks the production of this wine under the official Premier Cru status, a classification approved at the end of 2020 for the appellation.

Winemaking and aging

To craft this Pouilly-Fuissé 1er Cru "L'Orangerie du Château des Quarts" 2023, whole clusters are pressed directly before a light settling in stainless steel tanks. Alcoholic and malolactic fermentations take place in oak barrels. The aging then continues for twelve months in barrels, composed of a very small proportion of new oak, and is completed by six months in stainless steel tanks. The wine is finally bottled after light filtration and without any fining.

Grape variety

Chardonnay (100%).