Reviews
Technical Details
- BlendGamay
- WinemakerJean-Etienne Chermette
- CountryFrance
- RegionBurgundy
- AppellationFleurie, Beaujolias
- VineyardPoncie
- Farming MethodSustainable Practices
- Aging/Cooperage6 months in recent oak tuns and 10% in new barrels
- Alcohol13.5%
Domaine du Vissoux Pierre-Marie Chermette Poncie Fleurie 2020
"Jean-Etienne Chermette has once again produced a superb range of wines at this southern Beaujolais reference point...To my palate, some of the cuvées reviewed here number among the finest values that can be found in French wine, and I warmly recommend any readers who haven't yet acquainted themselves with this estate to try a few bottles." - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
One of the true stars of Burgundy whose wines are increasingly hard to acquire, when you get your lips on the glass, it is easy to understand why! Minimalist winemaking, native ferments, little to no sulfur and the refusal to chaptalize are the tenants that make this winery what it is, they have just been doing far before it was the "cool" thing to do.
We come out of the gate with this wine (arguably the best from the domaine this year), from 4.5 hectares of a cooler temp south-east facing slope called Poncié in the heights of Fleurie, which was planted 35 years ago. It is so steep that no mechanization at all is possible, but that results in a wine of feminine elegance and supple tannins. The soil is made up of pink granite rich in mica and quartz with a crumbly surface.
While still a baby, this wine just hits your senses with opulent red fruits, perfume, nutmeg, rosewater, peppercorn…it’s amazing! All of this carries on to the palate with freshness and energy that keeps coming back into your nose with all that perfume. Wow! So good for the price…please get a few!
PAIRING IDEAS: Gamay loves ham. I’d make a world-class ham and cheese sandwich (toasted in butter of course), with the best ham and cheese I could buy. Alternately, make a classic croque madame (similar, but with an egg and some bechamel). Recipe here.
MUSIC SUGGESTIONS: Fleurie, a part of Burgundy, recently lost an icon in importer Becky Wasserman. Listen to this podcast with her son, also a legend in the world of Burgundy!