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Pouilly-Loché and Pouilly-Vinzelles AOC win new premier cru sites
Two AOCs in the Mâconnais have been awarded with their own premier cru sites by France’s official body, the Institut Nationale des Appellations d’Origine (INAO), it has been announced.
Four premier cru sites been approved in the Bourgogne appellations of Pouilly-Loché and Pouilly-Vinzelles AOC: the new 7.09 ha Pouilly-Loché Premier Cru will be known as Pouilly-Loché Premier Cru Les Mûres, while Pouilly-Vinzelles Premiers Crus AOC has three premier crus: Les Longeays (comprising 7.50 ha); Les Pétaux (2.76 ha) and Les Quarts (12.45 ha).
The move is a culmination of twelve years’ work that began in 2006 with a detailed geological study of the composition of the soil and terroir, as well as exploring the historical significance of the parcels and the climats, the BIVB said.
The two “gems of the Mâconnais” were officially recognised at the end of November, with wines from the 2024 vintage able to be officially labelled with the new premier crus.
Pouilly-Loché, which was originally classified in 1940, comprises 33ha of clay-limestone terroirs around the town of Loché, 5 km southwest of the city of Mâcon. Many of its vineyards overlap those of neighbouring appellation Pouilly-Vinzelles AOC, a 52ha appellation which, like Pouilly-Loché is also exclusively planted with Chardonnay.
As part of the new specifications for the premier cru sites, yields will be limited to 58 hl/ha, compared to 60 hl/ha for the AOC wines, and all premier cru wines must be aged until at least 1 July 1 in the year after the harvest. There are further stringent requirements, which include a minimum of 12% abv (compared to 11% for Pouilly- Loché AOC) and a minimum must weight of 195 g/. Grape must also be manually harvested and in a first for Bourgogne premier cru climats, all herbicides are banned, which the BIVB said, “reflect[ed] the commitment of our winegrowers to quality and environmental responsibility.”
However, although the two new premier crus have been approved by the INAO, the EU has yet to approve – and update – the Cahier des Charges, although this is likely to be due to a time-lag in paperwork.
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