“Old vines, moderate yields and organic farming of their 35 different parcels are the foundation of their renown. Harvesting is by hand, followed by fermentation with ambient yeasts and unusually long élevage on the lees for between 20 and 36 months — in concrete eggs, stainless steel tanks, and barrels, depending on the cuvée. The result is deep and sapid wines that are impressively textural and seamless …. Nicolas and Antoine Denogent preside over this 10-hectare Fuissé Domaine; and in a village that's more often than not decidedly conventional, these wines break the mould. ‘We can't make wine any other way,’ jokes Antoine, ‘perhaps we're stupid?’ Organic farming in the vineyards and hand harvesting are followed in the winery by long press cycles of some four to five hours. Barreled down in old fûts or small cement tanks after minimal débourbage (and without the addition of enzymes), fermentations typically last the better part of a year and élevage a minimum of two winters. Topping up occurs two to four times per year … some 12 liters of lees at the bottom of the barrel compensates, to some extent, in reductive potential. The result is complex, textural, intensely sapid wines. Without reaching the same extremes as the wines of the Valette family, these are certainly Mâconnais wines that will appeal to those who appreciate, for example, the Champagnes of Selosse or the Chablis of Thomas Pico. And as my tasting notes record, I found plenty to admire …”
William Kelley, Wine Advocate |
