2020 La Soufrandière Saint-Véran La Bonnode

Biodynamic. This excellent Prissé climat is one of the new vineyards the Bret brothers recently purchased in partnership with Dominique Lafon. The 40-year-old vines here face due east in a sheltered spot just below a small forest at the foot of the Roche de Vergisson. The vines here were recently certified biodynamic and had been organically farmed by the previous owners. It’s not hard to see why the brothers are so effusive when talking about this patch of dirt (which is also home to 0.3 hectares of old-vine Aligoté). It’s a big plot of two hectares, with the rows running down a slope, so the grapes ripen in stages and must be picked in successive tries. It’s fermented and aged for the first year in barrel, then transferred to tank before the next harvest. From deeper soils, this wine has a little more volume than the Pouilly-Vinzelles wines, yet the cut and mouth-watering precision are spot-on. The textured palate is all citrus pulp and peel, framed by a wonderful chalkiness, laser-like acidity and a nip of phenolics on the finish