Owner Roger Saumaize was born amid the vineyards of winemakers parents and shares his passion with his wife Christine (her maiden name is Michelin), where the name of the domaine SAUMAIZE-MICHELIN derives. Roger and Christine Saumaize like the contact with their clients with whom they share their passion and their interest in wine.
The logo represents the Roche de Vergisson, a huge rock formation, just on top of the Village of Vergisson.
Roger Saumaize started working since he was 14 years old.
In 1977, Roger Saumaize received 4 hectares of vineyards from his Father. He completely took over the Father's Estate in 1978.
The Domaine Saumaize-Michelin was built over time. For instance, in 1979, Roger and Christine bought 1.60 hectares of “La Roche” vineyards in Vergisson.
Then, in 1985 the decision was made to vinify all the parcels separetly. Such as the Pouilly Fuissé “Clos de la Roche” cuvée that was created at that time.
The following additions were made, step by step, such as:
• Pouilly-Fuissé « Ronchevats » in 1988;
• Saint-Véran « les Crêches » in 1995;
• Pouilly-Fuissé « le haut des Crays » in 2004;
• Pouilly-Fuissé « les Courtelongs » in 2005;
• and lastly, Pouilly-Fuissé “Les Maréchaudes” in 2014 in collaboration with their son, Vivien.
Two new cellars were built in 2007, with a storage area and labeling premise.
This 10-hectare estate is planted to 9.5 hectares of Chardonnay and half an hectare of Gamay for Mâcon Rouge.
The vines are 45-50 years old of age on average.
In the vineyards, a lot of work is done by hand, such as the pruning, the disbudding (shoot removal), the trellising, the green harvest, the thining out of the leaves and the harvest.
The soils are plowed/tilled and no chemicals are used. The idea is to get the life back in the vineyards. Flora diversity is essential.
Without being certified, Roger works according to the Biodynamics principles.
In the cellar, all of the white wines are 100% barrel fermented and wine goes through 100% M-L fermentation.
Roger Saumaize makes about 6,250 cases of wine per year under three different appellations: Mâcon-Villages, St Véran and Pouilly-Fuissé.
This is named after a 5-sided marine shell fossil often found in Pouilly-Fuissé.
Tropical fruit and citrus aromas are followed by complex citrus and apple flavors balanced by a refreshing acidity.
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Unit | Units/Case | Type | UPC - bottle | SRP/Unit |
750ml | 12 | Glass | 7 84585 00169 9 | $42.95 |
"(made from several parcels on limestone scree; pentacrine is a fossilized star-shaped echinoderm; made in demi-muids and barriques): Bright medium yellow. Perfumed aromas of peach and pear complicated by subtle minerality and hints of white pepper and menthol. Offers a juicy lemon drop flavor and an impression of racy sweetness (actually barely one gram per liter of residual sugar) leavened by fresh acidity. Finishes
sappy, juicy and long, with refreshing notes of citrus zest and salinity. The demi-muids bring _ linearity while the smaller barrels contribute gras, notes Christine Saumaize.- Stephen Tanzer"
- Antonio Galloni's Vinous (November 2017), 90 pts
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"(this assemblage of parcels was bottled the week before my visit): Bright, light yellow. White peach, flowers and tangy citrus nuances on the nose. Offers a pliant texture and good inner-mouth floral lift to the fruit-driven flavors of white peach and lemon. A juicy rather than thick style of 2015, with noteworthy refinement. Spreads out nicely on the rising finish, leaving no sense of weight. These vines on the north side of Vergisson suffered less from drought but still came in at under 14% potential alcohol. - Stephen Tanzer"
- Vinous (October 2016), 89 pts
Go To Saumaize-Michelin Pouilly-Fuisse Pentacrine
"(an assemblage of 30 mostly small parcels, primarily on the north side of Vergisson; bottled at the end of July; two-thirds raised in demi-muids and one-third in pièces): Pale yellow. Aromas of citrus peel and subtle herbs reminded me a bit of Grüner veltliner. Brisk acidity and saline minerality add lift and verve to the flavors of lime, spices and fresh herbs. A very sharply delineated wine, which Roger Saumaize partly attributes to the extensive use of demi-muids, explaining that a higher percentage of pièces would have resulted in a more buttery style. This entry-level Pouilly-Fuissé offers good grip and persistence, not to mention immediate sappy drinkability. It should make a perfect aperitif to start the salivary glands pumping. Saumaize recommends drinking this wine within the next two years or after 2020. - Stephen Tanzer"
- Vinous (December 2015), 89 pts
Go To Saumaize-Michelin Pouilly-Fuisse Pentacrine
"A beautiful and restrained nose features essence of ripe pear and dried rose petals that give way to generously proportioned medium-bodied flavors that retain a fine sense of detail on the vibrant, dry and overtly saline infused finish. This impeccably well-balanced effort should offer 3 to 5 years of cellar potential."
Allen Meadows' Burgound.com, 89-92 pts
Go To Saumaize-Michelin Pouilly-Fuisse Pentacrine