2011 Pouilly Fuisse La Roche

The 2011 Pouilly-Fuisse La Roche, from the middle of the escarpment on white limestone soils, has an entrancing bouquet of white peach, apricot blossom, quince and crushed stone that is just succinctly defined and very pure. The palate demonstrates immense clarity and is surprisingly understated after the ebullient nose. But it is very precise and tightly coiled on the mineral-driven finish that promises more with two or three years in bottle. Superb. Drink 2015-2022+. Lying in the shadow of the Vergisson “rock” in the namesake picturesque village lies one of my favorite Macon producers: Daniel et Martine Barraud (though from 2012 that will probably change to Daniel et Julien, representing the father and son team). They represent the fourth generation to work the land after Julien’s great-grandfather arrived in 1890. They commenced domaine bottling as early as 1939, albeit in a small basis. This is a rudimentary winemaking without any frills, the wines mostly matured in around 15% new oak and no more. Where it happens is out of the vineyard and their 8.5 hectares of Chardonnay. Julien, who has been at the domaine since 2006, told me that they have been farming organically since 2005, though it is only now that they are considering applying for certification. The 2012s are still in barrel and so we tasted through the 2011s, which have been in bottle since early last year. “In 2011, there were not a lot of grapes,” Julien explained, “but there was a lot of juice because the skins were very thin.” He believes that similar to the 2001s the 2011s will surprise a few people with time as the wines age. For anyone seeking an introduction to the heights of Macon, Domaine Barraud would be near the top of my list. Importers: North Berkeley, Oakland, CA; tel. (510) 336-9880;, Michael Skurnik, Syosset, NY; tel. (516) 677-9300, Vintners Select, www.vintnerselect.com and others.