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Francis Blanchet, Pouilly-Fumé, “Cuvée Silice”

Loire Valley, France 2017 (750mL)
$24.00
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Francis Blanchet, Pouilly-Fumé, “Cuvée Silice”

Today’s 2017 marks the fifth consecutive vintage we’ve offered of Francis Blanchet’s “Cuvée Silice”—a feat which hasn’t been replicated by any other producer since SommSelect’s inception. Obviously, we are unabashed fanatics who won’t stop waving Blanchet’s flag as long as this high-quality, low-priced wine continues to deliver at such a high level.
Francis recognizes that his small-production Pouilly-Fumé is highly sought-after (his front door is surely imprinted by the knuckles of a thousand importers), so you’d expect one of two outcomes: an increase in production or ramped-up prices. Some producers get away with both, but Francis hasn’t done either and, as we’ve mentioned before, the quality of each new release seems to reach unprecedented levels. This full-throttle Pouilly-Fumé staple shows off a pure-flint terroir and immense energy like few others can—there’s an indescribable magic to a wine that comes from vines hand-planted by the winemaker himself in classic silex soil. “Cuvée Silice” is a traditionally crafted, extremely affordable, must-have ‘collectible’ for anyone who admires terroir, purity, and the value of a dollar. And as our team learned firsthand when we visited Blanchet last March, these wines really can age; having tasted decades-old back vintages of Blanchet that are still singing, I can say without hesitation that this is one of the greatest white wine values on the market.
Francis Blanchet has an ‘only-in-France pedigree’: his extended family has been growing Sauvignon Blanc in Pouilly-Fumé since the 1700s (they are said to still have the original deed for the purchase of the vineyards). Today, Francis still remains active, but his son Mathieu has since joined the ranks, representing the eighth generation. Despite their history, the estate remains rather modest in size at around 23 acres. Francis himself planted the vineyard for “Cuvée Silice” back in 1987.

“Silice” refers to silex, or silica, the hard flintstone that dominates the soils of Pouilly-Fumé. Mixed with clay and/or sandstone, Silex is what gives the wines of the region their distinctively smoky, “gunflint” minerality (‘Fumé’ means ‘smoked,’ an apt name for this wine village). Sourced within the village of Saint-Andelain—where Didier Dagueneau is located—Blanchet’s small single vineyard boasts the highest concentration of pure silex and sits at the highest elevation in the Pouilly-Fumé AOC. Striking together two stones in Blanchet’s vineyards or simply smelling the wine will trigger the nostalgic smell for those who owned a cap gun when they were young. The old-vine fruit is hand harvested and fermented using only ambient yeasts in stainless steel, after which it ages in tank for seven months, where it undergoes a regular bâtonnage (lees-stirring) regimen. 

The brand new release of “Cuvée Silice” shines bright with a silvery yellow core and flashes of green extending to a translucent rim. If it’s even possible, it shows more vibrant minerality than the ‘16—fine chalk, struck flint, white pepper, and damp stones lead the charge, along with racy fruit aromas of grapefruit, white peach, green apple, yellow flowers, fresh-cut limes, lemon zest, honeysuckle, and a touch of green papaya. As always with Blanchet’s Pouilly-Fumé, there is no need to brace yourself before drinking this—it’s equipped with fresh, creamy layers of delicate fruit. And, of course, “Cuvée Silice” is harmoniously dry, with a long mineral finish bursting with notes of gunflint and crushed stones. It will evolve gracefully over the next 10+ years but is also ready to be enjoyed this year if given a 30-minute decant. Serve in all-purpose white stems around 50 degrees and pair with the attached monkfish recipe. If you can nail the presentation, everyone will be patting you on the back all night long—as long as the Blanchet doesn’t run out!
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Country
France
Region
Loire Valley
Sub-Region
FrancePouilly-Fumé
Soil
Silex
Farming
Sustainable
Blend
Sauvignon Blanc 100%
Alcohol
13.0
OAK
None — Stainless Steel
TEMP.
50-55
Glassware
All-Purpose White
Drinking
Now-2023
Decanting
15 Minutes
Pairing
Monkfish w/ Sage & Savoy Cabbage

France

Bourgogne

Beaujolais

Enjoying the greatest wines of Beaujolais starts, as it usually does, with the lay of the land. In Beaujolais, 10 localities have been given their own AOC (Appellation of Controlled Origin) designation. They are: Saint Amour; Juliénas; Chénas; Moulin-à Vent; Fleurie; Chiroubles; Morgon; Régnié; Côte de Brouilly; and Brouilly.

Southwestern France

Bordeaux

Bordeaux surrounds two rivers, the Dordogne and Garonne, which intersect north of the city of Bordeaux to form the Gironde Estuary, which empties into the Atlantic Ocean. The region is at the 45th parallel (California’s Napa Valley is at the38th), with a mild, Atlantic-influenced climate enabling the maturation of late-ripening varieties.

Central France

Loire Valley

The Loire is France’s longest river (634 miles), originating in the southerly Cévennes Mountains, flowing north towards Paris, then curving westward and emptying into the Atlantic Ocean near Nantes. The Loire and its tributaries cover a huge swath of central France, with most of the wine appellations on an east-west stretch at47 degrees north (the same latitude as Burgundy).

Northeastern France

Alsace

Alsace, in Northeastern France, is one of the most geologically diverse wine regions in the world, with vineyards running from the foothills of theVosges Mountains down to the Rhine River Valley below.

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