Wine Reviews

Stone and earth flavors yield to peach, apple and baking spices as this white builds on the palate. Gathers steam, culminating in the long, stone- and oak-tinged aftertaste. Best from 2027 through 2032.

From a gently sloping site, the 2023 Pouilly-Fuissé Hors-Classe Les Ménétrières is a wine of considerable density yet one defined by balance. The nose opens with ripe apricot, vanilla and lime blossom beneath a top note of buttery reduction that should recede with air and time. Full-bodied, the palate is concentrated and silken, its weight drawn into line by tangy acidity. Despite its richness, the wine never feels heavy, instead maintaining an impressive sense of volume and composure. The finish is long and flavorful, marked by chestnut cream and a sea-salted edge. It’s a beautiful wine with clear aging potential.

The 2025 Pouilly-Fuissé Les Ménétrières 1er Cru underwent the biggest sorting during the picking and pressing to rid the cuvée of overripe juice; therefore, there are just seven barrels. This pays off on the expressive and delineated nose, with fresh lime and Clementines and attractive leesy elements. The palate is well balanced and citrus-fresh, with plenty of lime and apricot notes and more nervosité on the finish compared to the Perrières at the moment.

The 2024 Pouilly-Fuissé Les Ménétrières 1er Cru, which suffered 100% millerandage this vintage (compounded by some virused vines), has an intense, razor-sharp bouquet that shows plenty of extract (indeed, the small berries exhibited thick skins). The palate has a smoky, spicy entry with more reduction than the other cuvées, almost slate-like in the mouth with saliva-inducing salinity towards the finish. There is plenty of energy here; this Les Ménétrières has tons of potential. A keeper.

The 2024 Pouilly-Fuissé Les Ménétrières 1er Cru, which suffered a high level of millerandage due to the age of vines, has a very mineral, sea-spray-scented nose. The palate is tensile and sapid, veins of apricot and white peach showing impressive concentration, slightly oily towards the finish. Just a dab of white pepper pops up on the aftertaste. I appreciate the length of this Pouilly-Fuissé.