2013 Domaine Henri Perrusset Mâcon-Villages

Full Pull

• By Paul Zitarelli
  Full Pull The Futility of New Years Resolutions, 1/27/2017

  (Domaine Perrusset Macon Villages) Hello friends. Each year when the calendar ticks over to January, I seem to make the same resolution with regards to Full Pull. Stop. Pre. Buying. Because pre-buying is not the model Full Pull was built on. We were built on a model of low- or no-excess inventory. It’s challenging, because as we grow, the wines and the deals offered to us only get better and more compelling. But still. That’s not how we operate. Mostly. And so each January I resolve to get back to basics and try to keep the pre-offer purchasing to a minimum. This particular January, I have been especially reminded of the futility of this resolution, because already, less than four weeks into the year, we’ve received deliveries of three pre-purchased parcels. Yes, I made two of the three deals in December, but still, the fact remains: this is not auspicious. The good news for our list members, however: all three parcels are secure in the warehouse and ready for immediate pickup. And all three are deeply compelling wines (or else I wouldn’t have been seduced!) for one reason or another. Let’s dive into them. Pre-buying this parcel allowed us to secure pricing that is as good as I can see nationwide, so there’s that. Perrusset is also, to the best of my knowledge, the only Macon producer imported by the outstanding Kermit Lynch. Here is how they introduce the winery: A few decades ago, in a small, local vigneron hangout in the Beaujolais, Kermit and Henri Perrusset met rather serendipitously. There weren’t enough tables in the restaurant and the hostess seated Kermit with Henri, who was just finishing up his meal. Their conversation blossomed, and Henri invited Kermit to visit and taste his first vintage.  We have been buying these delicious, distinctive Chardonnays ever since.  For decades, the Mâconnais has been dominated by the banal bottlings of cooperative cellars; not the sort of quality that leads novices to explore the wines of the region. But at the same time, Henri Perrusset has been working his vineyards by hand, reducing his yields to improve grape quality, all while offering us very reasonable prices. Henri Perrusset’s vineyards and home are located in the small town of Farges-les-Mâcon, on the northernmost spur of the limestone subsoil that characterizes the appellation of Mâcon. Farges is not far away from the village named (believe it or not) Chardonnay. The limestone in Farges is more marly than the compact limestone farther south in Pouilly-Fuissé. It is hard and intensely white, but breaks apart into small pieces and it is loaded with quartz and marine fossils as well. This type of soil is easier to work despite all the stones, provides great drainage for the vines, and gives the wines their grainy minerality. Our Mâcon-Farges bottling comes uniquely from a parcel of old vines, while the Mâcon-Villages is a custom blend of all his other holdings around Farges. These are Chardonnays with the ripeness and intensity level of a Pouilly-Fuissé or even a Saint-Aubin, with the particular goût de terroir of Henri’s corner of Mâcon. I didn’t know any of that when I tasted the wine. I just knew this was a Chardonnay showing honest Burgundian character and emerging tertiary notes for like fifteen bucks. That was good enough for me. From 15-30 year old vineyards and aged entirely in stainless steel, this clocks in at 12.5% listed alc and begins with an alluring nose: peach and apple, hay and sweet corn. The developing palate offers a mix of rich fruit, minerals, and earthy savories. It’s in a real sweet spot right now, offering the kind of complexity that makes ageing Chardonnay for a few years so appealing. Drink up any time in the next five years and you’ll find plenty of pleasure and intellectual stimulation.