In the village of Pouilly, in the middle of the Pouilly-Fuissé AOC lies Domaine du Roc des Boutires. The winery’s name draws on both terroir and tradition: its proximity with the Roche de Solutré, an emblem of the appellation and a testament to the extraordinary geologic richness of this vineyard; as well as the domaine’s settlement in the very heart of one of the best terroirs of the appellation — “Aux Bouthières.” In the ancient French vocabulary, a “boutière” was a secondary road that mule skinners used for the transportation of oils and wines in remote parts of the country. The vineyard of Domaine du Roc des Boutires is only 5 kilometers (3.12 miles) west of the ancient Roman track of Via Agrippa, on a very small road which now leads to the village of Solutré, the hills of the Mâconnais and the plains of the Charolais.

Clay and limestone soils. The ‘vielles vignes’ of Chardonnay, located at the southern end of Burgundy, are planted between 250 and 500 meters in altitude, higher than the other AOC from Bourgogne. Thus, they provide both maturity and freshness to the wines.

Selection of terroirs:

1) ‘A La Roue’: deep clay soils (no-limestone), from residual clay “with chailles”

2) ‘Barvay’: shallow soils, derived from limestone “with chailles”

3) ‘Aux Combes’: fine soils of clay and limestone

4) ‘Les Lites’: Soils from marl, with a dispersed amount of calcareous soil

5) ‘Vers Cras’: Clay-limestone soils.

A late year with heterogeneous maturity and low yields due to spring frost and humidity. Slow but accomplished maturity.

The grapes are pressed as soon as the harvest arrives; the press is filled by gravity, whole bunch pressing. Settling at low temperature (8°C), Slow fermentation at low temperature for about 1 month. Malolactic over 6 months.

Richer than the Bourgogne Blanc, the Pouilly retains a nice freshness thanks to the saline notes that appear on the finish.