Description
Domaine du Clos des Rocs, Pouilly-Loché “Les Mûres”
Here we go again, hyping up the wines of Burgundy’s Pouilly villages. And again, it’s not a “diamond in the rough” narrative because that narrative is laughably outdated. No, this single-vineyard stunner from Clos des Rocs is a destination wine of serious breed, one that rivals Côte de Beaune whites costing many multiples more.
Unless you’ve seen one of our Clos des Rocs offers before, it’s entirely possible you’ve never heard of the tiny Pouilly-Loché appellation: the entire AOC measures all of 32 hectares, of which Clos des Rocs controls eight. Farmer-winemaker-owner Olivier Giroux is a one-man band blessed not only with the monopole (one-owner vineyard) that lends his estate its name, but another lieu-dit parcel, “Les Mûres,” that would surely rank as a Premier Cru if Loché’s vineyards were classified (it may happen someday, as it recently did in neighboring Pouilly-Fuissé). Today’s 2020 is a lithe, mineral, shimmering Chardonnay, superb in every way and still priced well below what it would fetch if it carried a Côte de Beaune designation. Landing a new vintage of Les Mûres is a momentous occasion for us—Burgundy values this astonishing are fast disappearing!
I don’t remember where we got this quote from Giroux, but it’s worth re-sharing: “It is just me here,” he said. “I’m a peasant. I tend the vineyards. I make the wine. I take care of the marketing.” Maybe it’s this dogged self-reliance, combined with the absence of any significant payroll, that enables him to keep prices refreshingly low.
Giroux developed an early interest in Mâconnais winegrowing. Following university-level wine education and a decade spent honing his skills with large producers in the Rhône Valley, he longed to return home to realize his dream of bottling white Burgundy. The obscurity of Pouilly-Loché appellation meant that with Olivier’s purchase of Domaine du Clos des Rocs in the mid-2000s, he acquired an impressively diverse 15-acre collection for the price of what even a few rows in one of Burgundy’s more prestigious vineyards might cost. Olivier immediately set to transition all farming on the property to organics while renovating the cellar to prioritize cleanliness and efficiency over faddish technology.
Just southeast of Pouilly-Fuissé, Pouilly-Loché is, as noted above, a microscopic appellation (32 hectares compared to Pouilly-Fuissé’s 758). Olivier’s 40-year-old, organically farmed vines in “Les Mûres” are planted in limestone soils and harvested by hand. Sorting is carefully carried out in both the vineyard and winery and the Chardonnay ages in 50% stainless steel and 50% neutral barrel for approximately 12 months.
In the glass, “Les Mûres” displays a bright straw-yellow core with yellow and light green reflections leading out to the rim. Assertive aromas of citrus blossom, yellow apple, oyster shell, lemon meringue, acacia blossoms, button mushroom, and wet stone jump from the glass. The palate is richly textured, hinting at some of the breadth of Pouilly-Fuissé, but buttons up with a more citrusy, mineral finish. It drinks beautifully now with 30 minutes in the decanter, but I would strongly consider laying a bottle or two (or 12) down for revisiting five years down the line. It’s that good, and that serious. The pairing options are virtually limitless, but the attached recipe should be especially good. Don’t miss out on this one!
