Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/688647
52 { THE SOMM JOURNAL } JUNE/JULY 2016 THE "OTHER" POUILLYS Pouilly-Vinzelles and Pouilly-Loché of the Mâconnais Matthew Kaner is currently serving the Marie-Pierre Manciat 2011 Pouilly-Vinzelles "Les Longeays," by the glass at Augustine; and in the past, he's also served the Domaine du Clos des Rocs 2012 Pouilly-Loché "Clos des Rocs" Monopole. For these reasons, we thought he'd be the perfect person to talk to about these "other" Pouillys, for once, instead of Pouilly-Fuissé. Sporting a denim jacket and piercing stare, Kaner offers his breakdown: • Both of these appellations were established relatively recently in 1940. They're also very small. Pouilly-Vinzelles is 52 total hectares. That's 129 acres, and a 230,000 bottle production potential. Some wineries make more than that all by themselves, and we're talking about a whole region! • Pouilly-Loché is just to the north of Pouilly-Vinzelles and even smaller. In fact, it's so small, wines made in Pouilly-Loché are allowed to label themselves Pouilly-Vinzelles, which is even lesser known, ironically. Pouilly-Loché grows a total of 32 hectares, which is a 200,000 bottle production potential. Consider that this production num - ber does not take into account for the possibility of hail or frost, etc. • The other thing that's incredible about these wines is their rarity to price ratio because of the size of the areas. The fact that this [points to his bottle] is one of 5,000 bottles that this winery makes from this tiny appellation, and that it somehow makes its way into my wine bar, and that I get to serve it by the glass for $15 is crazy. Especially with the rest of Bourgogne becoming more and more out of reach for the price. • Pouilly-Loché actually has a schist backbone and as you move south towards Pouilly- Vinzelles, you start to see the clay, limestone, kind of rich in iron kind of fluidity that goes into entire region of Vinzelles. For that reason, you might get something rounder from Pouilly-Vinzelles and more crisp and angular from Pouilly-Loché. { discoveries } perfect sweet spot to be restaurant- and retail-friendly." He goes on to explain that because of the warmth of the region, the Chardonnay tends to be broader on the palate, an attribute he thinks the American drinker welcomes. Hon also conveys the notion that there is a misconception that white wines from the Mâconnais need to be consumed within three to five years. Domaine de la Bongran produces an outstanding and stereotype-defying wine in the 2005 Viré- Clessé "Cuvée Tradition E. J. Thévenet." With ten years of age, the wine is drinking beautifully. "Does it improve with age?" speculates Hon. "I think it does. It just showcases a different personality." Vintner Jean Thévenet also does not shy away from ripeness, even employing Botrytis cinerea, or noble rot, to make an unctu - ous wine with tropical fruit notes. Hon suggests that it be enjoyed at the end of a meal, sans food. "Enjoy its uniqueness, with honey and saffron notes." Pouilly-Fuissé, undoubtedly, holds the title for best-known wine in the Mâconnnais. While always reliable, its neighboring appellations, Pouilly-Vinzelles and Pouilly- Loché, reveal relatively unknown gems. Kaner chooses Marie-Pierre Manciat's 2011 Pouilly-Vinzelles "Les Longeays" to showcase the rarity and quality of Pouilly- Vinzelles. The Manciat family has been growing grapes in the Mâconnais for over a century, but Marie's father Claude began producing wine in the early 1980s. Marie took over a decade later. "Claude was a non-interventionist—using neutral oak, staying out of the way of terroir," explains Kaner. Keeping in theme with iconic pro - ducers, Domaine du Clos des Rocs owns more than 30 percent of the viney ards in Pouilly-Loché; their 2012 "Clos des Rocs" Monopole bottling "is the flagship wine from Pouilly-Loché. These are beautiful wines that age gracefully," Kaner praises. Bourgogne can be a complicated and overwhelming region to grasp, but the beauty is that it delivers wine for every price-point. Some of the most sought- after wines in the world claim the hillsides of Bourgogne as home. Alongside those iconic wines lie some of the best values in the entire wine world. One of the most respected and lauded sommeliers in this country, Matthew Kaner owns Augustine Wine Bar in the Los Angeles suburb of Sherman Oaks.