Domaine du Roc des Boutires

Domaine du Roc des Boutires consists in 4.8 hectares ideally located in the village of Pouilly, the richest of the 5 villages of the AOC in (future) 1er crus. The domain covers 11 single vineyards from 220m to 430m, among which “Aux Chailloux” and “Aux Bouthières” (future 1er crus). 2019 is their 4th vintage as owners. “Aux Bouthières” has already got scores of 94 by Antonio Galloni, Vinous, rated the 2nd best wines of all Mâconnais.

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In the village of Pouilly, in the middle of Pouilly-Fuissé AOC lies the Domaine du Roc des Boutires. It is originating from 2 names: its proximity with this Roche de Solutré, which stands for the emblem of the appellation and a witness of the extraordinary geologic richness of this vineyard; and its settlement in the very heart of one of the best terroirs of the appellation 'Aux Bouthières'. In the ancient French vocabulary, a boutière means a secondary road that mule skinners used for the transportation of oils and wines in remote parts of the country. The vineyard is actually 5 kilometers west from the ancient Roman track of Via Agrippa, on a very small road which is now leading to the village of Solutré, the hills of the Mâconnais and the plains of the Charolais. Every name here has a story!

As one can see on the map of Pouilly-Fuissé, the appellation is spread among 4 villages. The village of Vergisson, the northernmost one, is also the coldest and the highest in altitude. It encompasses younger and more rocky soils. This of Chaintré, the southernmost one, is more sandy and granitic. Pouilly and Fuissé villages are the heart of the AOC and should gather the 2 third of the 1er crus when the classication is submitted.

The domain has 11 acres (4,2 hectares) on a east-west oriented strip at the same latitude than the village of Pouilly. We are here on the best part of the appellation, the central one, this of the jurassic climestones, which is the geologic substratum of 1er and grands crus in Burgundy. Our vineyard is our chance: 14 different terroirs, spread all along the côte de Pouilly, equally shared from 210 meters to 430 meters altitude, from 'Aux Combes' to 'la Grange Murger' terroirs.

Some terroirs of Domaine du Roc des Boutires are of particular interest:
- ‘Aux Bouières’: brown and clayous soils formed by residual chert-filled clay
- ‘Aux Chailloux’: deep and clayous soils formed by residual chert- and flint-filled clay
- ‘Vers Cras’: shallow soils formed by white and hard limestones
- ‘En Bertilionne’: yellow / brown soils formed by limestones with banded marls
- ‘La Grange Murger’: shallow brown soils formed by gryphaea-rich limestones
- ‘Aux Combes’: no stone soils of clay and limestones

The vines of Chardonnay, mostly planted in the beginning of the 70's, are flowering here with the greatest respect for the vegetal. The whole harvest which usually last 4 days is made by hand and led to the cuvage in small 40 liters cases. Vinications are following the single-vineyard approach sought after by Brice Laffond and the Parinet family.

The berries are driven to the pressoir by gravity, immediately pressed, with the whole bunch in order to filtrate the best and most natural way possible. Once the pressurage is done, the juices are cooled down till 8°C for 2 days on average in order to make the particles fall in the tank. The cold débourbage enables to preserve the best quality and primary aromas. Malolactic fermentations are happening naturally, bâtonnages are scarce, barrels and tanks are used depending on the profile of the vintage.