Pouilly- Vinzelles and Pouilly- Loché have their first vintages

The church of Loché .
On November 18th, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry officially recognized the Premier Cru status of four climats from two appellations in the southern Mâconnais (71): Pouilly- Loché and Pouilly- Vinzelles This result marks the culmination of a long collective effort led by the ODG (Management and Defense Organization) of the two vintages in partnership with the Inao (National Institute of Origin and Quality). Since 2006, every facet of the different terroirs has been examined in order to identify the highest quality climats (named vineyard sites). The first four crus selected are: Les Mûres (7.09 ha) for Pouilly- Loché , Les Quarts (12.45 ha), Les Longeays (7.50 ha) and Les Pétaux (2.76 ha) for Pouilly- Vinzelles This represents a total of 29.80 hectares of Premier Cru vineyards, accounting for approximately 35% of the total area of ​​the two appellations: 32 hectares for Pouilly- Loché and 52 hectares for Pouilly- Vinzelles These two small names, due to their size, join their "neighbor" Pouilly-Fuissé , which had obtained 22 Premier Crus in 2020, for a little less than 200 hectares in total. Exclusively planted in chardonnay , these new plots of Premier Cru vineyards in Pouilly- Loché and Pouilly- Vinzelles These wines benefit from strict production rules, a first in Burgundy. Chemical herbicides will be prohibited regardless of the product used, and the harvest must be done entirely by hand. Yields will be capped at 58 hl/ha. We will dedicate a full article to these new Premier Crus in issue 181 of [publication name missing]. Bourgogne Aujourd'hui to be published in early February 2025.