I’ve had some pretty impressive first-visits to domaines in my career, but few equal the feeling of awe I had after the visit with Christophe Cordier in 1997. Every wine, from the Macon Blanc to the Pouilly-Fuisse Vieilles Vignes to the super-natural au Metertiere, had brilliant delineation, terroir and richness, in cases extraordinary richness, but never losing the precision of flavors one finds only in great wines.

Each appellation has its own expressive character, the sign of gentle winemaking. The Macon Blanc, from diverse parcels in Macon, is vinified in large foudre and displays excellent mineral character, ripeness, balance and length. A very good bottle of white Burgundy. The Macon-Fuisse vines adjoin Pouilly-Fuisse appellation and this is a bigger version of the Macon Blanc. St. Veran is an appellation that suffers from too many mediocre performances; thus to say this is one of the best you will ever have, does not do it justice. Fabulously rich, from old vines situated high, it has so much character, one cannot believe the name. Pouilly-Loche is a tiny appellation, which, with his examples will grow in renown.

Cordier often makes more than one passage and each time is very selective in his picking. Then comes a long fermentation in barrels, some of which he buys from Ramonet, and for new oak he uses principally Seguin-Moreau. The Pouilly-Fuisse Vieilles Vignes typically is harvested at 14% natural at yields of less than 30 hl/ha (two tons to the acre -- half the allowed amount). Vignes Blanches is a parcel of 40 plus year old vines, even riper, and yet with higher acidity. Positively Batard-like. Everyone will have his or her favorites here, and for me, that is the au Metertiere. It is one of the most complete young Chardonnays I have ever experienced with a finish that cannot be described. The word used by Revue du Vin de France comes close: invraisemblable (unreal). Starting with the 1998 vintage Cordier, at our request kept one parcel formerly used in the Vieilles Vignes cuvee as its own selection, Vers Cras, which may be the finest wine being produced in the Pouilly Fuisse appellation.

"Insolent" success is the description given by the Revue du Vin de France Le Classement 2000 of the 1997’s of this domaine, whose "constant progress over the last several years has catapulted it to the summit of the local hierarchy. All the wines express to the utmost degree the opulence, finesse and diversity of character of the different terroirs of the secteur and merit being included in the cellars of the most discerning amateurs – even before Meursaults, Pulignys, and Chassagnes of the same vintage."


From Le Classement, 1999 Revue du Vin de France

"This domaine has progressed spectacularly in recent vintages. The wines today are generously aromatic and well reflect the diversity of terroir afforded by the numerous parcels in the domaine’s possession (Vignes Blanches, Metertieres, Les Reisses). "

Technical info:   2004 Macon Terroir de Charnay