Château des Quarts is a small, focused project in Pouilly-Fuissé founded in 2012 by Dominique Lafon and local vigneron Olivier Merlin. The estate is anchored by a single walled vineyard, the 2.23-hectare Clos des Quarts in Chaintré, on an east-facing clay-limestone slope above the Saône Valley. Chardonnay dominates here, including parcels planted in 1937, and the wines are built around the density and mineral cut that this limestone-rich site can deliver.

The 2023 Pouilly-Fuissé 1er Cru “L’Orangerie du Château des Quarts” is 100% Chardonnay sourced from the Clos des Quarts. (No detailed technical information on élevage or harvest practices is published in the material provided, though the wine is vinified under Merlin’s direction.) While earlier vintages established the cuvée’s reputation, 2023 is now starting to receive serious critical attention.

Vinous reviewed the 2023 in August 2025 and awarded an excellent 91 points. Neal Martin notes that this bottling “comes from the younger vines within des Quarts,” and he emphasizes its aromatic drive: “great intensity on the nose with slate and flint infusing the citrus fruit.” He also highlights momentum and precision, calling it “Good energy, animated.”

On the palate, Martin finds the wine “very well balanced,” with a fruit profile that shifts in a slightly riper direction than the previous year. He writes that it “leans a little more towards tropical fruit than the 2022,” and describes it as “a little peachy towards the finish.” Taken together, the note suggests a Pouilly-Fuissé that aims to combine site-derived minerality—those “slate and flint” tones—with a generous, modern Mâconnais register of citrus, peach, and tropical accents.

For buyers, the key message from the early coverage is that 2023 L’Orangerie is not just a terroir statement from a serious monopole clos; it’s also a well-judged Premier Cru white with clear critical validation.