2015 Pouilly Fuisse Tete de Cru
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Tasting notes
(60% aged in oak, 25% new, the rest in stainless steel): Yellow-straw color seemed to lighten with air. Aromas of yellow apple, baking spices, menthol and marzipan complicated by saline minerality. Very rich, tactile, concentrated wine with the almost roasted ripeness of the vintage leavened by dusty stone and salty minerality. There's a slightly evolved yellow apple and licorice aspect to this wine that I'm not wild for, yet it also possesses strong framing acidity (from blocked malo?). Finishes quite dry and a touch harsh, with repeating menthol and saline notes and good but not outstanding length.
Critic scores
Average Score
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
Neal Martin, Wine Advocate
More reviews and scores
The 2015 Pouilly Fuisse Tete de Cru is a blend of 40 different parcels on slate or sandy soils. There are around 20 to 25 vinifications of individual plots matured in 70% oak barrels (around one-quarter new), the remainder in stainless steel, where, in order to preserve balance, the malolactics were stopped for the cuvées aged in stainless steel tanks. The aromas gradually unfurl here with scents of white flower and hazelnut, touches of strawberry, or rather "punnet of strawberry" developing with time. The palate is fresh on the entry with crisp acidity and fine mineralité, with good salinity and a slight oiliness to the texture on the finish. I like the depth here, and while it does not possess enormous length, it has a linearity and tension that is commendable, given the warmth of the growing season.