2021 Barraud ‘La Marechaude’ Pouilly Fuisse 1er Cru

WSI94 BH91-93 A discreet though easily discernible dollop of wood sets off the cool, airy and layered aromas of Granny Smith apples, acacia blossom and overt citrus scents. There is almost painful intensity to the borderline aggressively mineral-driven flavors that conclude in a youthfully austere, chiseled and very dry finale. This is quite good and very promising though note that it’s going to require at least some patience.
Estate Notes: Aromas of orange and apple blossoms, lemon zest, crushed stones. Vibrantly mineral, with a profound core of citrus.
2020 is the first vintage that Maréchaude has been promoted to 1er Cru. This was always known here as La Verchère. They wanted to keep the original Verchère identity – so they’ve added the sobriquet. This is the parcel in front of the house, a lovely gentle slope, always looking impeccable. Lovely. Broad and bright. Really charming and expansive texture. This is always a winner here and so it is great this now has the recognition it deserves with 1er Cru status.

“Daniel Barraud is without question one of the finest growers in all of the Mâconnais and there is a credible argument to be made that his remarkable consistency vaults him right to the very top of the list … this man almost never misses.” –Alan Meadows, Burghound

Domaine Daniel et Julien Barraud is not only the source of Vergisson’s finest organic wines but also sets the standard for world-class white Burgundy from the Maconnais. The petit hamlet of Vergisson, with its high-altitude vineyards, is where the region’s finest wines are made.
The history of the Barraud family began in 1905. Jean-Marie Barraud, a sharecropper, installed himself in the village of Vergisson, in the Maconnais. He saved his earnings until in 1912, he was able to purchase vineyard land, the first parcels of the future Domaine Barraud. 

Toward the end of the 1930s, the estate’s second generation was bottling their own wines on the property, with the first wine from the legendary ‘Les Crays’ vineyard appearing in 1947.
In the 1970s, wines from the Maconnais were slowly being discovered by the wider world, both for their high quality and serious value when compared to white Burgundy from the Cote d’Or. 
Winemaker Daniel Barraud — the family’s fourth generation — and his wife Martine today are widely held as one of the top winemaking families in the region. Their son, Julien, began working at the domaine in 2006. 

All the wines are made keeping close to the tenets of bio-dynamics – not as Daniel says – for the sake of it, but because over the generations experience has taught them these principles really are the best way forward – as such they only ever bottle on a waning moon. The Domaine is working toward organic certification. All the wines see some barrel ageing apart from the Chaintré, which is aged in foudre (2/3) and tank.