2006 Pouilly-Fuisse Les Combes Vieilles Vignes

The Verget 2006 Pouilly-Fuisse Terroir de Pouilly Les Combes Vieilles Vignes is from 90 year old vines in a deep, clay-rich soil. Pear, papaya, musk melon, narcissus, and lily set the tone for this decadently ripe, opulent Pouilly. Its personality fits the slight alcoholic warmth generated in the finish (by 13.7% alcohol), and there is an impressive vein of sheer chalk running right through the finish. All of this year’s will be best drunk within 2-3 years. In the Macon, at least, Jean-Marie Guffen is convinced that in 2006 “you had the choice between picking too early or picking too late. I chose the former. The sugar levels were high in either case, the acidity was low, and grapes were beginning to rot.” Guffens ran his picking crew ragged between the Macon, Cote d’Or, and Chablis, with more felicitous results in the two last-named sectors. (For notes on the 2006 Chablis at Verget, please consult my report in issue 179.) In the Cote d’Or, Guffens was more successful this year than in 2005, a vintage he thinks is in general over-rated and unlikely to stand the test of time. He was sparing with batonnage in 2006, and as always highly selective in pressing and in retention of lees (meaning he had fewer to work with). A Peter Vezan Selection (various importers), Paris; fax 011 33 1 42 55 42 93