Placeholder Image

Francis Blanchet, Cuvée Silice

Loire Valley, France 2014 (750mL)
$22.00
/
Shipping calculated at checkout.
Your cart is empty.
  • Free Shipping on Orders Over $375
  • In stock, ready to ship
Fruit
Earth
Body
Tannin
Acid
Alcohol

Francis Blanchet, Cuvée Silice


Perched across the river on the right bank of the Loire River from its equally famous neighbor, Pouilly-Fumé boasts an altogether different minerality than the Kimmeridgian soils of Sancerre on the left bank. The soils of Pouilly-Fumé are called Silex, which is comprised of an exceptional combination of flint and sandstone. Thanks to the flint, the material Native Americans used to construct arrowheads on our soils for centuries, Pouilly-Fumé offers unique minerality and aromatics that are unlike anything else in the world. This particular bottling hails from the highest elevation in the appellation, in the village of Saint-Andelain, where the highest percentage of silex soils can be found. This wine’s lauded producer, Monsieur Blanchet humbly attributes the perfect finesse of his wines to the silex soils and unique terroir. However, there is serious work done in the vineyards to ensure that only the most premium grapes make it to his wines. 
 
Dedication and winemaking tradition have been passed down in his family since the 17th century. Blanchet and his team focus on sustainable farming practices and age-old methodology in winemaking that emphasizes quality above all else. This special cuvee, derived from one hectare of treasured 25-year-old vines, is fermented in climate-controlled stainless steel then is aged for 3-4 months sur lie with three sessions of batonnage (stirring the lees). Thanks to his careful, time-honored approach, this site absolutely shines through in the glass and results in an absolutely classic and pristine expression of the appellation. According to one respected importer, Michael Skurnik, this 2014 Pouilly-Fumé Cuvée Silice, “delivers the soul of the Loire Valley, a classic example of Sauvignon Blanc that has plenty of smoke, crushed stones and racy fruit. A truly great vintage with great acid, perfectly healthy and ripe fruit that make it a marvel today and give it the potential to age for years.”
 
The 2014 Cuvée Silice possesses a light straw core with brilliant, green reflections on the rim. The complex nose offers subtle aromas of passionfruit, grapefruit, lemon zest, diced chives, fresh white flowers and crushed chalk. On the palate, this bone-dry Sauvignon Blanc delivers racy and refreshing acidity along with flavors of tart kiwi, lime zest, gooseberry, white fresh flowers, wet grass and a flinty, slightly smoky minerality that is reflective of its inimitable silex soils. This wine needs air, so ideally decant for 30-40 minutes prior to drinking at 50-55 degrees in all-purpose or large Bordeaux stems. The more air the better; it really comes out of its shell after about twenty minutes. Enjoy a bottle now, but set one aside as it is truly built to last. For food pairing recommendations, do yourself a favor and visit Francis Blanchet’s site below. He has done such an incredible job pairing his wines with local recipes that he’ll likely convince you to pack your bags for Pouilly-Fumé.
Placeholder Image
Country
France
Region
Loire Valley
Sub-Region
FrancePouilly-Fumé
Soil
Silex
Farming
Sustainable
Blend
Sauvignon Blanc
Alcohol
12.5
OAK
None

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.

Others We Love