2020 Chateau Vitallis Macon-Fuisse
2020 Chateau Vitallis Macon-Fuisse Pale golden in the glass, clear. Nose of green apple, pear. Toasty notes, honey, white flower. The palate of this 2020 wine is bigger than expected, coating the mouth nicely! Juicy acid with big buttery notes. Round and pretty at the same time! Finish is dry, smooth and lingering.
Chateau Vitallis
A family-run wine estate since 1835, located at the foot of the iconic Rock of Solutré, Château Vitalis is proudly and firmly rooted in Burgundy. Driven by their passion and their pursuit of excellence, Denis Dutron and his son Maxime create wines of character that are true to the unique identity of their exceptional terroir. This father and son team put their name to six different AOP wines in the Mâcon-Vinzelles, Mâcon-Fuissé, Saint-Véran and Pouilly-Fuissé appellations.
Built in the 13th century, Château Vitallis now has 17 hectares Chardonnay vines. Proud of their terroir and dedicated to bringing out the full range of its aromas, Denis and Maxime Dutron apply considered viticultural practices and unique savoir-faire to the making of their Burgundy Grands Vins.
Chardonnay
Chardonnay is the world’s most famous white-wine grape and also one of the most widely planted. Although the most highly regarded expressions of the variety are those from Burgundy and California, many high-quality examples are made in Italy, Australia, New Zealand and parts of South America. Describing the flavors of Chardonnay is not easy. While many Chardonnay wines have high aromatic complexity, this is usually due to winemaking techniques (particularly the use of oak) rather than the variety’s intrinsic qualities.
Malolactic fermentation gives distinctive buttery aromas. Fermentation and/or maturation in oak barrels contributes notes of vanilla, smoke and hints of sweet spices such as clove and cinnamon. Extended lees contact while in barrel imparts biscuity, doughy flavors. Because of this high level of winemaker involvement, Chardonnay has become known as the “”winemaker’s wine””. The variety itself (although often said to be relatively flavor-neutral) is responsible for most of the fruity flavors found in Chardonnay wines.