Return to My True Colors (2)

It was 2021 when I published an article here about the twenty-two vineyards in Pouilly‑Fuissé being officially upgraded to Premier Cru status, effective from the 2020 vintage—by now many Pouilly fans will have tasted them. Time has flown, and over the past few years four more Premier Cru sites have been added; this time the neighboring Pouilly‑Loche and Pouilly‑Vinzelles. I have a bit of a connection with the latter: when I took the Burgundy instructor exam I happened to encounter it, and in my presentation I concluded it was essentially Pouilly‑Fuissé—so you can imagine how close the two are. Pouilly‑Loche includes “Les Mûres,” and Vinzelles contributes three plots—Longeays, Petaux, and Quarts—which from the 2024 vintage are officially designated as Burgundy Premier Cru vineyards. Their total area is just over thirty hectares.

Back in 2022, certain parcels in Pouilly‑Vinzelles and Pouilly‑Loche were already close to being approved for upgrade. Production rules require no herbicides, mandatory hand harvesting, yields under 5,800 liters per hectare, a minimum alcohol of 12% ABV, and wines may only be released to market after July of the following year. This area sits south of Chablis and, like Chablis, uses Chardonnay, yet it had not been upgraded until now—rumor has it the process took twenty years to reach this honor. The region has already attracted significant attention from foreign winemakers and Burgundian domaines; even renowned Côte d’Or houses such as Leflaive and Comtes Lafon have invested resources in the Mâconnais, and in recent years Château de Vinzelles has been included in local tourism development plans.

The Mâconnais lies in the southernmost part of the region with milder weather. The 2024 vintage was the upgrade year and the harvest was stable, unlike the clear shortfalls seen elsewhere. 2023 and 2022 were especially abundant and high-quality vintages; because those years have not yet been reclassified, prices remain relatively low and are worth buying now. If you’re interested in visiting the newest Premier Cru sites, consider dining at L’O des Vignes—the wine list will not disappoint and prices are fair. For older bottles, consider Quintaine 1985 Domaine de la Bongran or Les Birbettes 1999 Château des Rontets, both of which show Burgundy in excellent condition.

那年是2021年，在這裡發表文章關於Pouilly-Fuisse的廿二個果園正式升級為一級園，年份由2020年開始，相信各位"布粉"已品嚐不小。時光飛逝，幾年間又有四個新一級園加入，這次是毗鄰的 Pouilly-Loche 和 Pouilly-Vinzelles， 後者和在下算有點緣，當年考布爾岡導師時就是遇著她，presentation總結她是Pouilly-Fuisse，可想而知兩者是多麽接近。Pouilly-Loche擁有 "Les Mures" 加上Vinzelles三塊果園- Longeays，Petaux，Quarts 從2024年份正式開始標纖為布爾岡一級果園，總面積只是三十公頃多一點。

在2022年之時， Pouilly-Vinzelles 和Pouilly-Loche 兩地某塊果園已差不多落實升級，生產規限方面是禁止除草劑，必須手採收成，產量小於每公頃五千八百公升，酒精度不得小於12%，成熟期必須在翌年七月後才可推出市面。這裡和Chablis一北一南，也是採用Chardonnay，但一直未有升級，據聞原來已搞了二十年才有今日榮譽。其實這裡已吸引不小國外釀酒師和布爾岡酒廠注意，甚至Cote d’Or的名牌酒莊如 Leflaive，Comtes Lafon等也投放資源在Maconnaise，近年Chateau de Vinzelles亦被列入為旅遊發展計劃。

Maconnaise位於最南部地區，天氣比較温和，2024年是升級年份，收成也稳定，不像其他地方明顯失收。2023和2022年更是豐收和優質年份，這些年份還未升級，酒價偏低，值得趁早入貨。 若果大家有興趣去最新一級園朝聖可考慮到 L’O des Vignes 用餐，酒單不會令你失望，取價公道，舊酒可考慮Quintaine 1985 Domaine de la Bongran 或 Les Birbettes 1999 Château des Rontets 兩者可給予布爾岡優質狀態。