1971, 2001
&amp; 2011 Château de Beauregard Pouilly-Fuissé Vers Cras

BY NEAL MARTIN | JUNE 06, 2022No
Burrier, no Premier Cru! Frédéric Burrier, the congenial proprietor of Château
de Beauregard in the village of Fuissé, was the driving force that, after a
decade of relentless campaigning, convinced the INAO that 22 vineyards in
Pouilly-Fuissé merited promotion to Premier Cru status, commencing with the
2020 vintage. Readers can look forward to more detail on its first intake in a
forthcoming report. In the meantime, Burrier was a special guest at the
“Burgfest” group’s annual wild boar dinner in Savigny-lès-Beaune. He brought
three mature vintages from one of those promoted vineyards, Vers Cras, that
vindicated why they deserve Premier Cru status, each demonstrating that the
finest Mâconnais wines can mature in bottle as well as their equivalents in the
Côte d’Or. These were all poured from magnum.<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1654283649355-pouilly+fuisse+beauregard+bottles.jpg">The 1971
Pouilly-Fuissé Vers Cras is still quite youthful looking with green tints
in the glass. It has an engaging, slightly petrol-like bouquet, hints of white
truffle develop with time, something almost Germanic here, perhaps echoes of a
mature Nahe? The palate is commendably fresh given it is now half-a-century
old, slightly honeyed in texture with that petrol tincture continuing on from
the nose with Williams pear and a touch of gooseberry. Quite powerful, it seems
to gain in stature with light eucalyptus scents, before it stumbles and falls
apart after 30 minutes in the glass. Very fine, but I would not decant this. 90/Drink
2022-2028. 

The 2001
Pouilly-Fuissé Vers Cras is outstanding. Fantastic delineation and poise,
this makes an immediate impression on the nose with hints of grilled almond
mingling with lemon verbena. Though I am not inclined to compare with the Côte
d'Or, it does remind me of a fine Puligny-Montrachet on the nose with a very
subtle reduction. The palate is beautifully balanced with a steely line of
acidity, linear yet bursting with energy. Very pure and energetic with a
modicum of salinity towards the finish, this is Pouilly-Fuissé at its best. 93/Drink
2022-2038.

The 2011
Pouilly-Fuissé Vers Cras is drinking well. It has wonderful delineation and
vibrancy on the nose, more mineral-driven than the accompanying 1971 with hints
of white mushroom and white truffle. The palate is youthful, supple and
tensile, touches of orange pith and yellow plum emerging towards the harmonious
finish. At 21-years of age, this Pouilly-Fuissé is à point. 90/Drink
2022-2035.© 2022, Vinous. No portion of this article may be copied, shared or re-distributed without prior consent from Vinous. Doing so is not only a violation of our copyright, but also threatens the survival of independent wine criticism.

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