Rijckaert Pouilly-Fuissé Vieilles Vignes 2022
A fine and intense nose combining zesty lemon, freshly baked patisserie and fleshy white fruits, the structure is round but with a strong mineral tension and orchard fruit compote flavours that combine well with its salinity that brings a refreshing flinty aftertaste and a pithy fresh finish.
Pouilly-Fuissé has a long-established reputation for producing the finest examples of Chardonnay in the Mâconnais region. The soils lie on a foundation of high fossil and limestone, identical to the characters of the geology found in its northerly neighbour the Cote d'Or that appeared 1S0 million years ago. Vines are planted on slopes in the foothills of the escarpments of Solutré and Vergisson at altitudes of 200 or 300 metres.
The grapes are subject to slow and moderate pressing to yield only high quality juice, followed by fermentation using indigenous yeasts and spontaneous malolactic fermentation, then barrel ageing of eighteen months in predominantly used oak - most being eight to twenty years old - to avoid any strong impact on the character of the wine. Throughout this period they follow the philosophy of low inputs, avoiding the use of enzymes to settle the wine, then ageing on the lees with no batonnage or fining, in order to avoid disrupting the natural balance and structure of the wine.
| Vintage | 2022 |
| Alcoholic strength | 13% |
| Country | France |
| Region | Burgundy |
| Subregion | Pouilly-Fuissé |
| Grapes | Chardonnay 100% |
| Dry/Sweet value | 1 |
| Contains sulphites | Yes |
| Vegetarian | Yes |
| Vegan | Yes |
| Milk | No |
| Eggs | No |
| Organic | No |
| Biodynamic | No |
| Closure | Cork |
Vins Rijckaert began in 1998, founded by Jean Rijckaert a passionate Flemish winemaker who had been working in the region since 1990. He sought to establish a domaine under his name, and in order to achieve this he bought four hectares in Mâconnais (focused on Viré Clessé), as well as five hectares in the Jura where he fell in love with the spectacular terroir, thus establishing two cellars and making him the first person to make wines simultaneously in both regions. In 2013 Jean met his alter ego Florent Rouve, who became his protégé and thereafter he gradually handed over his savoir faire and philosophy, as well as business activities. Florent has continued to evolve the style of Vins Rijckaert wines with his own signature, marking them with great freshness and precision.
