Four climats from the Pouilly-Loché and Pouilly-Vinzelles appellations, located in the Mâconnais region of southern Bourgogne, are officially recognized as Premier Crus.
The four climats—Les Mûres from Pouilly-Loché, and Les Longeays, Les Pétaux, and Les Quarts from Pouilly-Vinzelles—will be officially recognized as Premier Crus starting with 2024 vintage.
The decision was made on November 18 when the French Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry signed ministerial decrees designating the finest clay-limestone climats of these appellations as Premier Cru.
Les Mûres, the new Premier Cru climat in Pouilly-Loché, spans 7.09 hectares, accounting for approximately 22.15% of the 32-hectare appellation.
In Pouilly-Vinzelles, the three climats—Les Longeays (7.50 hectares), Les Pétaux (2.76 hectares), and Les Quarts (12.45 hectares)—together comprise around 43.67% of the 52-hectare area.
All the climats are exclusively planted with Chardonnay.
The factors considered included geological and pedological conditions, historical significance, and agronomic and winemaking practices.
Production specifications for the new Premier Cru wines prohibit all herbicides and mandate manual harvesting, the first such requirement in Bourgogne.
Yields will be limited to 58 hectolitres per hectare (hl/ha). Regarding aging, these Premier Cru wines must be aged until at least July 1 of the year following the harvest, with commercialization beginning on or after July 15.
Their campaign for Premier Cru status began in 2006, in partnership with the Institut National des Appellations d’Origine (INAO), the governmental institution responsible for official designations related to agriculture and food.
Discover more from Vino Joy News
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
