Domaine du Vieux Puits En Châtenay 2007 Tasting Notes

Pouilly-Fuissé En Châtenay 2006

Nature doesn’t always offer an easy ride and 2006 was a year in which winemakers’ skills came to the fore throughout Burgundy.  A cold winter extended into spring and reduced the number of buds on the vines at flowering time, which meant a lower potential yield.  Then the weather went into pendulum mode – June and July were hot, August was cold and September was verging on the tropical, with rain bringing the possibility of botrytis cinerea (noble rot) in some parcels, which meant that meticulous sorting before pressing was vital. But for a third-generation winemaker like Thierry Drouin, patience is a byword and with the yields already reduced in spring giving the wine a greater concentration of flavour and intensity, the result is a difficult vintage transformed into a wine you will treasure.

Matured in one- and two-year-old oak barrels, to impart a touch of vanilla and spice, our exclusive En Châtenay retains the citrussy freshness which is characteristic of the grape au naturel.  The result is a blend of succulent lemon and peach fruits, gently underscored by smooth butter-vanilla flavours.  There is no rush to drink up, as although it is delicious now, it will become even more complex over the next 3–5 years.  No rush, either, to match it with chicken or fish in creamy, lemon sauces, or mild cheeses or ham and pineapple bathed in a cheese sauce – but why wait?