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.

Exclusively coming from the terroir ‘En Bertilionne’, 0.57 hectares (1.4 acre), limestone interlaced with marl and chalk. 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. Vineyards face East/South-East.

Early budburst at the end of March follow by little rain in May before flowering on the 20th. 12 days earlier than last 30 years average. The summer was an alternation of hot and cold temperature with little rain deficit, compensated by our clay-limesone vineyard. The harvest was early (reflecting the vegetative development) but also shorter than the previous years, due to an impressive homogeneity of maturity between the terroirs. The cool nights led to high levels of acidity at the beginning of maturation, for a very good final result. Finally, 2020, which was a solar vintage with an outstanding sanitary quality, has shown an excellent harvesting potential, for both quality and quantity.

The berries are driven to the press by gravity, and immediately pressed as whole bunches. Once the juice is extracted, the juices are cooled down to 46.4° F (8°C) for 2 days on average in order to make the particles fall in the tank. This cold soak preserves the best quality and primary aromas. Malolactic fermentation happens naturally. Bâtonnage is scarce, while barrels and tanks are used depending on the profile of the vintage.

The color is vibrant and bright with yellow and gold reflections. Aromas of minerals, flint, pear and peach jump out of the glass. The palate is pleasantly intense with citrus notes and a long mouthwatering finish. Very refined.