Domaine Pascal & Mireille Renaud Aux Chailloux Pouilly-Fuissé Premier Cru 2020

Small-production Premier Cru White Burgundy from the idyllic Southern Burgundy region of Pouilly-Fuissé for under $25 feels like it should be illegal. When you consider its 91-point score and that we have it for the lowest price in the country… well, it’s downright devilish! And we want everything to do with it.

The small family producer of Domaine Pascal & Mireille Renaud owns an impressive array of 25 acres of vineyard holdings spanning the chummy Mâcon-Village all the way up to the prized Premier Cru village of Pouilly-Fuissé. Owners and husband-wife-duo Pascal and Mireille recently brought on their children, Guillaume and Amandine, to help make their stunning portfolio of accessible, approachable, yet unequivocally elegant white wines.

The “Chailloux” site (an old French word meaning clay and rounded stones and gravel) is the first vineyard to the right as you leave St-Veran and enter Pouilly-Fuissé, with a terroir rich in limestone and clay soils. The grapes take on the rich, plush feel associated with St-Veran, plump with notes of succulent orchard fruits, though maintaining a stunning sense of minerality and acidity. Hand-harvesting, immediate pressing, cooling, and maturation in stainless steel occur to maintain a sense of fruit freshness and terroir authenticity.

The final wine is one that is balanced, refreshing, and mouthwatering, with a zesty, citrine acidity on the back-end that promises a full-throttle, well-rounded drinking experience. Aromas of green apple, salted lemons, white nectarine, and pink peppercorn fill the air, as bushels of apples and pears fill out the palate, punctuated by wet stones, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom. This is rich with layers and harmonious complexity not often found in under $25 of white wine in general, let alone Premier Cru White Burgundy. Go ahead and take this stellar excuse to pack your cellar with White Burgundy – and a wine that just so happens to pair excellently with roasted squash ravioli, hearty chili, and a great many of your favorite fall dishes!

PAIRING IDEAS: Speaking of squash ravioli, this simple, yet divine take on the meal incorporates a creamy butternut squash, walnut, and sage filling with a simple garlic and herb sauce... seriously mind-melting stuff!