Saumaize-Michelin Pouilly-Fuisse Clos Sur La Roche Premier Cru 2020

“From a 1.60-hectare parcel on white limestone soils at 360m altitude on the Roc de Vergisson, the 2020 Pouilly-Fuissé Sur La Roche 1er Cru has a gorgeous bouquet with crushed rock, white tea and wild peach scents all beautifully-defined. The palate is very well balanced with a fine spine of acidity, very cohesive, maybe just a little more malic than the Maréchaude, yet with just as much persistency in the mouth. Superb. Drinking window: 2024-2037. 93 points

Roger and Christine Saumaize-Michelin have overseen a raft of top-notch Pouilly-Fuissé from this winery perched on the foothills of the Roc de Vergisson. We were joined by their daughter Lisa for the tasting. “We started the picking on 5 September compared to 2021, which started on 21 September. I prefer the 2020 over 2019. It has more directness. The vintage was easy to work, and the wines just give so much pleasure, whereas the 2019 was very warm. We started picking 25 August that year. The nights were fresher in 2019. Alcohol levels are between 13.0% to 13.5%. They are just more drinkable.” These tend to be fresh, nimble expressions of their vineyards, using minimal new oak, often quite saline on their finish. Whilst I felt that the Les Ronchevats needs a pep up on the nose and perhaps showed why it was not granted promotion in 2020, their Courtelongs and La Roche are outstanding. But it’s their Les Courtelongs that blew me away with its entrancing bouquet with supremely-well delineated palate that displays thrilling tension from start to finish.”

Neal Martin, Vinous (08/22)