Domaine Clos des Rocs, Pouilly-Loché 'Les Mures', 2021

Pouilly-Loché is destined for premier cru status, so now is a great time to pile in.

The limestone-rich red soils of Les Mûres, below which the mother rock lurks at a mere 20 centimeters distance, produce one of this appellation’s finest wines.

Olivier owns a hectare’s worth of 70-year-old Chardonnay here, from which he produces a wine spellbinding in its saline mineral intensity. This cuvée spends 12 months in 500-liter barrels between two and eight years of age, and will develop gorgeously in bottle for well over a decade.

Olivier Giroux isn’t a household name, but amongst the most Burgundy-addicted sommeliers, he’s a rockstar of the Mâconnais! Pouilly-Loché is located well off Burgundy’s beaten path. The entire appellation covers just 32 hectares (neighboring Pouilly-Fuissé has almost 800), nearly a third of which belong to Olivier. Talk about big fish small pond.