From: Burgundy, France
Varietal: Chardonnay
Taste: Thus, in the glass- you have true Côte d’Or richness meeting the linear, silvery nature of Rully’s windswept non-contiguous hillsides; a benefit in the resulting wine because you’ve now got the richness of Beaune meeting a tightrope walk of minerality normally only found in Chablis.
Taste (expanded): On the nose, the 2020 Jean-Philippe Fichet Rully (blanc) displays a complex bouquet of citrus and floral notes, with hints of honey and toasted almonds. On the palate, the wine is medium-bodied and lively, with a refreshing acidity that balances the fruit and oak flavors. The flavors of lemon, green apple, and pear are complemented by subtle notes of vanilla and toast, adding depth and complexity to the wine. The finish is long and crisp, with a touch of minerality that lingers on the tongue.
Pairing: The 2020 Jean-Philippe Fichet Rully (blanc) is a versatile wine that pairs well with a variety of dishes. Here are some recommendations for pairing this wine with food:
Grilled seafood such as scallops, shrimp, crab, or grilled/poached/baked fish.
Creamy pasta dishes, such as fettuccine alfredo or linguine with clam sauce.
Roasted chicken or turkey with creamy mushroom sauce, or duck or chicken confit served with roasted potatoes (see below for recipe!).
Quiche Lorraine, a traditional French dish made with eggs, cheese, and bacon.
Escargots de Bourgogne, snails cooked in a garlic and herb butter sauce.
Grilled vegetables such as zucchini, eggplant, and peppers.
Risotto with mushrooms, Parmesan cheese, and a touch of truffle oil.
Chicken Confit With Roasted Potatoes and Parsley Salad
By Sam Sifton
Rully Blanc is a French white wine from Burgundy produced by Domaine Jean Philippe Fichet. It is made from Chardonnay grapes and is located under the appellation of Rully, in the district of Cote Chalonnaise. This area is characterized by a very particular prized terroir, with clay-limestone matrix soils. To this must be added the meticulous work of Jean Philippe Fichet, who acts according to principles of sustainable agriculture and vinifies each climat separately to enhance the characteristics of the terroir, creating fresh, vertical and easy-to-drink wines.
Perhaps more than any of his peers, Fichet is testing the limits of transparency, to find the very soul of Meursault’s terroirs. It was Meursault’s destiny to have its soils revealed in this way: their intense stoniness is magnified by an exceptionally low water table, forcing the vines’ roots deep underground. Even if uneconomical, Fichet would rather produce a very small amount of wine from his best sites than to lose their unique character in a blend. Fichet has flown largely under the world’s radar. He began as a grower in 1981 but was forced to rebuild his domaine from scratch in the 1990s, having lost all his best fruit sources—including a piece of Meursault-Perrières—for lack of long-term contracts. But he learned from this experience. By 2000, he had used carefully negotiated long-term fermage and mètayage agreements to create an extraordinary new domaine, brimming with exceptional sites. Fichet’s methods reflect his philosophy: he is famously meticulous and abhors taking short cuts. His low yields, the foremost key to quality, are achieved through severe winter pruning rather than by green harvesting. And he believes his wines’ expressiveness is enhanced through a patient 18-month élevage, with little new oak and by avoiding aggressive lees stirring.