Just across the Loire River from Sancerre in the far east of the vast Loire Valley lies the picturesque, celebrated appellation of Pouilly-Fumé. This famed region dates back to the Romans who first cultivated the vineyards near the Roman road that once ran through the area. It is here in the Central Vineyards sub-region that Sauvignon Blanc finds its most classic and profound expression. When the grapes are mature in Pouilly-Fumé, they are coated with a smoked-colored bloom, or ‘fumé, which lends its aromatics and descriptor to the name of the historic appellation. This offer from Domaine Pastou is an honest, terroir-driven reflection of Pouilly-Fumé at a price we can all enjoy.

 

Winemaker Jean-Marc Pastou founded Domaine Pastou back in 1980 with a passion to craft the purest and terroir-focused wines possible from his sustainably farmed estate. For his Pouilly-Fumé, fruit is derived from a south-southwest facing parcel that rests over Kimmeridgian limestone and marl soil that is millions of years in the making. In fact, Pastou’s Pouilly-Fumé is said to possess even greater expressive minerality than his Sancerre. The pristine fruit is pressed and racked over 24-48 hours at his winery in Sury-en-Vaux just across the Loire River in Northern Sancerre. Fermentation is in climate-controlled vats for roughly two weeks then is racked and matured in tank. The wine is lightly filtered and bottled without fining. The result is a quintessential example of Pouilly-Fumé that will delight and refresh all summer long.

 

The wine exhibits a pale straw yellow core with heavy green reflections on the rim. The intensely aromatic nose is driven by citrus, green tropicals, and citrus including gooseberry, grapefruit peel, lime blossoms, green mango, a touch of kiwi, wild green herbs, lemongrass, oyster shells and wet stones. The medium-bodied palate delivers refreshing acidity and a focused mineral drive with flavors reminiscent of the nose. As is often the case with fine, young white wines, we recommend decanting this wine for 45-50 minutes for this wine to fully express itself. Serve at 45-50 degrees – if serving mid-day outdoors, allow this wine to decant in the refrigerator until serving. It will quickly warm to perfection in the sunshine. This wine has enough stuffing to age gracefully for another 3-5 years and will evolve into a more complex wine with each passing year. There are so many pairing opportunities here that the world of cuisine is your oyster. We recommend this Goat Cheese, Bacon and Frisée Salad for a perfect pairing on a warm, Sunday afternoon.