2011 Pouilly-Vinzelles Les Longeays, Dom. de la Soufrandière, Bret Bros

Dom. de la Soufrandiere, Bret Bros

The Brets’ grandfather bought the handsome house that gives the domaine its name in 1947. He also purchased four hectares of vines, but it wasn’t until 2000, when Jean-Philippe and Jean-Guillaume withdrew them from the local co-operative, that Domaine de la Soufrandière was established.

It’s recognised today as a source of some of the finest wines the Mâconnais has to offer. If the domaine’s ascent seems meteoric, it’s easily explained by the brothers’ work ethic and capacity to think deeply about what they do.

Chardonnay

Chardonnay is often seen as the king of white wine grapes and one of the most widely planted in the world It is suited to a wide variety of soils, though it excels in soils with a high limestone content as found in Champagne, Chablis, and the Côte D`Or.

Burgundy is Chardonnay's spiritual home and the best White Burgundies are dry, rich, honeyed wines with marvellous poise, elegance and balance. They are unquestionably the finest dry white wines in the world. Chardonnay plays a crucial role in the Champagne blend, providing structure and finesse, and is the sole grape in Blanc de Blancs.

It is quantitatively important in California and Australia, is widely planted in Chile and South Africa, and is the second most widely planted grape in New Zealand. In warm climates Chardonnay has a tendency to develop very high sugar levels during the final stages of ripening and this can occur at the expense of acidity. Late picking is a common problem and can result in blowsy and flabby wines that lack structure and definition.

Recently in the New World, we have seen a move towards more elegant, better- balanced and less oak-driven Chardonnays, and this is to be welcomed.