2014 Pouilly Fuisse Le Clos

Ch de Fuissé's top wine. Le Clos vineyard has a 13% slope and its complex geology comprises clay towards the bottom, marnes in the middle and limestone at the top of the vineyard. Complex nose and great density. At the moment it looks a little over the top but I’m sure it will calm down and provide subtle drinking. (JR)

(made from an east-facing walled vineyard just behind the Château): Pale-medium yellow. Fascinating, soil-driven nose combines nectarine, peach, spices, smoky oak and saline minerality. Large-scaled, broad and mouthfilling but classically dry, displaying a tactile, wonderfully refined texture to its concentrated, nuanced stone fruit and mineral flavors. Rich in extract but very subtle, this wine builds impressively on the very long aftertaste, finishing with citric firmness and dusty minerality. A compelling wine of terroir , this really stimulates the salivary glands.

Used to go into the Vieilles Vignes but they are putting it all into Le Clos in anticipation of the validation of the premiers crus in the next few years. Initially a little more subdued than the Tête de Cru just tasted, with a more mealy aroma from the oak/lees influence, perhaps a hint of coconut. Intense but subtle too. Deep, rich and crisp all at once. Intensity without heaviness. Sustained, powerful but still elegant. GV (JH)