the saga continues: twin peaks & pouilly-fuissé

In keeping with the series' theme of split personalities (or "parallel identities," as Lynch has described them), with Twin Peaks this week the Native Companion and I shared a Mâconnais wine pretty much diametrically opposed to last week's heavenly St. Véran: a self-consciously classic Pouilly-Fuissé from the classic vintage of 2005, by the relatively large, widely lauded Domaine du Chalet Pouilly.

Diametrically opposed, I should say, in all realms but overall quality. Where the Perrauds' wine from last week was sulfite-free and so alive it seemed to swoon around the room, DduCP's Pouilly-Fuissé, while not lacking in personality, is a much more precise, educated creation - sort of a Special Agent Dale Cooper kind of wine.

Pouilly-Fuissé, designated in 1936, is by far the best-known and most sought-after of the Mâcon appellations. The wines have a reputation for possessing much of the pleasure if not all of the structure of the more famous Burgundy appellations. I don't really give a merde about famous appellation names, however, since by and large they're no great index of quality, merely of type.

That said, DduCP's Pouilly-Fuissé is a finely-honed minor wonder of a Mâcon. Went great with some linguine with black trumpet mushroom cream sauce I whipped up. Genial aromas of fresh Granny Smith apple and make-up powder, before a peach-lemon-mineral palate so perfectly balanced it could sleepwalk on a tightrope. A miraculous tiny brine note at the finish prevented the whole thing from being too cold and textbook, sort of like the Agent Cooper character's wide-eyed fixation with DOUGLAS FIRS! (And his steady faith in dream interpretation, also that.)

Image swiped from softwood.org.

DduCP's Pouilly-Fuissé is built for export, meaning there are sulfites - which, I insist, don't harm wines unless used injudiciously. (This is a point of general disagreement among many natural winemakers I respect.) Judging from this wine - and the numerous laudatory reviews of their other wines - and the fact that they're imported to the states by Becky Wasserman, the Queen of Burgundy (my friend Paul's mother) - Domaine du Chalet Pouilly pretty much have their game in order. To criticize them for not being certified organic or sulfite-free or unsuccessful would be, in my mind, just petty infighting.

This remarkable Pouilly-Fuissé is available rather cheaply (18eu) at:

La P'tite Cave
7, rue Port Royal
75013 PARIS
Metro: Gobelins
Tel: 01 47 07 10 91
Map

Related Links:

Becky Wasserman on Domaine du Chalet Pouilly