PRE ARRIVAL 2023 Chateau du Clos Pouilly-Fuissé 1er 'Hommage à Léonard Chandon' 750Ml Bottle

DUE APRIL 2026

'This is aromatically similar to the straight "Pouilly" but with even more spice elements as well as a bit more wood in evidence. There is even better volume to the overtly powerful big-bodied, concentrated and mouthcoating flavors that are noticeably more complex on the impressively long and well-balanced finish. This youthfully austere effort is excellent though I underscore that it is clearly built-to-age.'
91-94 points, Outstanding - Allen Meadows, Burghound

The 2023 Pouilly-Fuissé Pouilly Hommage à Léonard Chandon ler Cru was named after the gentleman who married a member of the Moët family and, well, you know the rest of the story. This is a cellar selection of around ten casks with around half matured in new oak, twelve months in cask and then six in stainless steel. It i slightly paler in colour than the regular cuvée. This is very well defined on the nose with impressive intensity, the oak beautifully assimilated, very focused and delineated. The palate has wonderful balance, though the wood i again conspicuous at the moment and requires time to be absorbed. The 2023 has very good depth and real weight on the finish with a vivacious pepperiness that lingers on the aftertaste. Excellent.' 93 points - Neal Martin, Vinous

This is the best 3 or 4 barrels from the estate, i.e. the 4ha walled enclosure. Usually there are 65 barrels in total (which equates to less than 35 hl/ha for the whole plot – less than most grand crus!), so this cuvée represents the best 5% of the grapes, and it’s given 100% new oak. I tasted a 2018 last week, and I’m very sad that I only have 5 bottles left, it’s a powerful but elegant wine, ageing nicely and it is still quite youthful! This cuvée does not always initially look better than the 1er Cru Pouilly above, but I am happy to take the advise of Frederic Burrier who makes this every year and he knows he will be keeping it for a long time, and showing it over the decades to special guests, friends, journalists and also his family; so it must be better in the fullness of time. Randall