SOLD OUT! The 2018 Henri Perrusset Macon-Villages is another in a string of excellent White Burgundy finds. And it’s another terrific find from the marvelous Kermit Lynch portfolio.
White Burgundy prices continue to go up, partly due to tarriffs and partly due to low supply and high demand. But then there’s wines like this one, an incredible value that delivers the goods. Far beyond this wine’s price tag, it needs to be said that Perrusset’s Macon-Village is a prime example of the heights Chardonnay can reach in the southern-most reaches of Burgundy.
2018 Henri Perrusset Macon-Villages
Like Chablis, but hate paying the price? Try This!
SOLD OUT
Have you ever bought a Kermit Lynch-imported wine from me that you didn’t like? I think the resounding answer will be no. Kermit makes wine buying easy for me. And this bright and open White Burgundy is my newest find from that legendary portfolio.
Kermit and Henri have been friends for nearly 3 decades. They met shortly after Perrusset established his domaine in 1987, at a crowded bar in Beaujolais. There were no tables available, so the hostess seated Kermit with Henri. Their conversation blossomed, and Henri invited Kermit to visit and taste his first vintage. The rest is history. Kermit has been bringing in these artisanally crafted wines ever since.
In a region dominated by mediocre wines from large cooperatives, Perrusset’s Chardonnays are completely the opposite. He farms without the use of chemical pesticides or fertilizers, he harvests and sorts by hand, he ferments with native yeasts, and you can taste that attention to detail in this bottle of wine.
These are Chardonnays with the ripeness and intensity level of a Pouilly-Fuissé or even a Saint-Aubin combined with the mineral intensity of a Chablis. The crumbly, rocky limestone found in Perrusset’s soils is loaded with quartz and marine fossils. And it is this type of soil that provides great drainage for the vines, and it’s what gives them their intense minerality.
My sales rep Richard McKinney of Tryon Distributing said this was the wine that stole the show at a recent Rendezvous wine dinner. After tasting it for myself, I understand why. The bouquet is absolutely gorgeous with notes of peach, pineapple, honeysuckle, and chalk. And the palate is equally engaging with a nice mix of orchard and citrus fruits, zesty acidity, and complex minerality. Coating every taste bud with delicious flavor, the finish is long and satisfying.
I know I’ve been featuring a lot of White Burgundies lately, but they’re all very different. This one makes a for a super refreshing aperitif, but it would best be served with a garlicky, parsley-packed, seafood pasta. Trust me, I had it the other night with a dish of this sort, and the pairing was perfect.
Josh Spurling
Owner, Operator, Wine Monger
Table Wine Asheville