2020 Chateau Vitallis – Maxime Dutron, Pouilly-Fuissé, Premier Cru “Les Perrières” White Burgundy, France.
Maxime Dutron, winemaker at his dad Denis’ historic Chateau Vitallis, has made a gem here with his brilliant 2020 Premier Cru Les Perrières Pouilly-Fuissé white Burgundy that fulfills the promise and potential of the vintage capturing incredible concentration, complexity, vitality and stony elements, making for an exceptional and steely Chardonnay that shows off lime, green apple, white peach and quince fruit along with a touch of matchstick, hazelnut, white flowers, clove spice and leesy roundness. This vivid pale greenish/gold white Burgundy at first reminded me of a fine chalky Chablis with its hints of oyster shell, saline and wet rock details, but opens up gaining richness and providing a very rewarding feel and textural experience. I’ve not had this producer before, so this first impression was exciting and I look forward to exploring the full collection of wines here. This wine should excite those who love Côte de Beaune wines like those from Chassagne-Montrachet and Saint-Aubin, but maybe don’t want to fork out the $60 to $100 they are going for, with the quality found here.
Chateau Vitallis, originally founded back in1835 is located at the foot of the iconic Rock of Solutré and based in Fuissé, in Southern Burgundy’s Mâcon region and is blessed with some impressive holdings in Mâcon-Vinzelles, Mâcon-Fuissé, Saint-Véran, Pouilly-Fuissé and Pouilly-Fuissé 1er Cru appellations, that last of which is where this beautiful white comes from. The Chateau Vitallis, which was built in the 13th century, now has 17 hectares Chardonnay vines, according to the winery, that are set on prime terroirs, which classic limestone and clay based soils and ripe exposures. The Les Perrières is the newest bottling in the Chateau Vitallis in the lineup, with Denis and Maxime Dutron first deciding to honour one of the best climats in Fuissé in 2013, and they’ve made some impact with it already, getting some big acclaim with the 2015 version, and now with their 2020, which is a serious, vinous and delicious effort. Maxime employed a full native yeast barrel fermentation here, with a small percentage of new oak, allowing for malo-lactic to occur naturally and aging the Les Perrières on the lees for 11 months in barrel, after which it saw another 6 months in stainless steel tanks before bottling. Imported exclusively for K & L Wines, this wine is precise, terroir driven and attractive, making it one to search out.
($35 Est.) 93 Points, grapelive