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WINE 101
Pouilly-Fuissé vs. Pouilly-Fumé
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Pouilly-Fumé is produced entirely from Sauvignon Blanc grown in the easternmost region of Loire along the Loire River. The climate is cool continental, meaning winters can be quite cold and summers very warm. Here, you’ll find other Loire white wines, such as Vouvray, Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine and Sancerre.
But, the limestone and flinty clay that are indigenous to the Pouilly-Fumé appellation give the wine its instantly identifiable smokey quality — hence the name “Fumé”. Moreover, the vine clusters in this region are small and, at maturity, coated with a grey bloom — again, just like smoke.
The wines of Pouilly-Fumé tend to be dry with very crisp acidity. Flavors are not tropical, as are those of the New World Sauvignon Blancs. The Pouilly-Fumé are more similar to their French cousins in Bordeaux. Aromas range from lemon and green apple to gooseberry, grass and other herbaceous notes. The most expressive Pouilly-Fumés have the characteristic gun flint and may be fermented or aged in small, usually older oak barrels.
Pouilly-Fuissé is produced from Chardonnay grapes in southern Burgundy’s Côte Mâconnaise. Here the fossiliferous limestone rich soil is covered in alkaline clay, identical to those found further north in the Côte-d’Or — the perfect terroir for Chardonnay.
Four communes — Chaintré, Fuissé, Solutré-Pouilly and Vergisson — make up the appellation. The vines are planted on the slopes of two huge escarpments, whose Jurassic hard-fossil corals have resisted erosion and now enrich these beautiful wines.
Visually, Pouilly-Fuissé may be pale or deep gold, flecked with green. Aromas can be amazingly complex, with mineral notes (silex), almond and hazelnut, citrus notes (lemon, grapefruit, and pineapple), white fruits (peaches), bracken, acacia, breadcrumbs, buttered brioche, and honey. Thanks to the wine’s natural richness, the texture is opulent and structured.
QUESTIONS OR ORDERS?
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| Pouilly-sur-Loire produces one of the greatest Sauvignon Blancs in the world. Régis’ vineyards sit at 750 feet, surrounded by hills on the far east of the Loire River, and centered proudly on the prized limestone and clay of the Kimmeridgian chain. The scattered flint in these vineyards imbues the wines with a character quite distinctive from the neighboring village of Sancerre. In the eloquent words of KLWM Store Manager, Steve Waters, “You couldn’t ask for a cleaner, fresher, flintier, or truer expression of Sauvignon Blanc. Its mouth-watering acidity, depth of flavor, and fleshy texture will have you racing back for more.”
$35
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| Always thinking about the environment, they were the first domaine in the appellation to be certified organic and are still one of the only domaines in the appellation working organically. Since 2008, they have also worked biodynamically in their vineyards and winery. Soils are plowed; leaf plucking normally takes place in the summer to allow more maturity for their Sauvignon Blanc grapes. The harvest is by hand, the yeasts are indigenous and the wine is made with as little pumping as possible. Aged on its fine lees in temperature-controlled stainless-steel tanks, the wine is bottled in the spring after a very light filtration.
$38
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| Domaine Agisson may be a young estate, only just founded in 2017, but Jean-Philippe Agisson has some serious credentials on his resume. After spending 12 years working as cellar master at Alphonse Mellot in Sancerre, Jean-Philippe joined the team at the legendary Domaine Didier Dagueneau as the lead wine maker in 2018, a position he holds today. His personal estate is centered in Sancerre with just 1 hectare of vines to which they added half a hectare in Pouilly-Fumé starting in 2020. The farming is organic with some biodynamic practices applied and the wine making is straight forward employing hand harvest, gentle pressing, and patient elevage in neutral barrels. We are thrilled to have this wine on our shelves in its inaugural vintage.
$75
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| Purchased by the Comte Lafond, an ancestor of the current owner, Baron Patrick de Ladoucette, Château du Nozet and its surrounding vineyards have a reputation for producing the finest Pouilly-Fumé. The vineyards are in Pouilly-Fumé Contrôlée, which includes Pouilly-sur-Loire, Saint-Andelain and Tracy-sur-Loire at the eastern end of the Loire Valley (including the vineyard of the Château du Nozet estate). Both clay and limestone influence the delicate characteristics in Ladoucette Baron de L Pouilly-Fumé. This Grande Cuvée of Pouilly Fumé is produced exclusively in the best years and from the first pressing of the estate’s grapes.
$170
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| Pouilly-Fuisse "Aux Combes" formerly constituted 50% of the "Trois Terroirs" cuvee, which is no longer in production beginning with the 2020 vintage. Aux Combes has slightly less-than-"perfect" exposition--it sits immediately northwest of (and bordering) Vers Cras (which got upgraded to 1er Cru) in the commune of Solutre-Pouilly--but it actually consistently fares very well in today's warm summers. Nicolas employed a single 40-hectoliter foudre (2013 origin) in the elevage of this 2020 "Aux Combes," and the wine shows all the clarity and mineral precision we've come to expect and be cherish in this domaine's wines.
$44
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| A precise knowledge of the region's most remarkable terroirs forms the basis of the parcel by parcel vinification for which the Domaine is renowned: in particular, the classification of Tête de Cru and Hors Classe were established by Jeanne Ferret. It was entirely down to her that the wines were bottled at the Domaine - at a time when this was certainly not standard practice. Her daughter, Colette, followed in her footsteps, developing the Domaine's reputation for excellence by focusing on the maturation period.
When Louis Jadot acquired the 18-hectare property in 2008, its aim was to continue working in the tradition of excellence established by the Ferrets.
Subtle notes include minerals, yellow fruits, flowers, fresh hazelnuts and spices, with an intense finish.
$64
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