Sauvignon blanc is undeniably one of the most popular white wines for American wine drinkers. It's synonymous with refreshing, zesty bottles from New Zealand's Marlborough region where this grape was turned into a household name.
But sauvignon blanc, as with many grapes, can take on different characteristics depending on where it was grown. Interestingly, when most people comment on their likes and dislikes of sauvignon blanc, they often use the wines of New Zealand as the benchmark for how this grape tastes. This week I challenge you to a little homework of tasting the classic historic styles of France's Loire Valley for an exceptional revisiting of sauvignon blanc.
Just a couple hours south of Paris you will find one of the world's most renowned sauvignon blanc regions Pouilly-Fume. It is here sauvignon blanc takes on an indescribable (until you do your homework) tasting experience with no comparison to many of the world's expressions of this grape. It is in this region the once easy-drinking, easy-sipping sauvignon blanc takes a turn to a serious dining and tasting experience.
Pouilly-Fume has two parts in its name. "Pouilly" is short for Pouilly-sur-Loire, the village where the wines are made and "fume" is short for blanc-fume, the local nickname for sauvignon blanc. The wines get a lot of their distinct character from the various limestone and clay soils containing fossilized seashells in some spots and flint in others. This flinty clay soil contributes to Pouilly-Fume wine's reputation for having the smoky gunflint notes. "Fume" translates to "smoke" in French one of the reasons behind the many claims for the naming of this region, along with fume being the grayish-white film appearing on the sauvignon grapes in the vineyards.
Pouilly-Fume is often (and understandably) confused with Pouilly-Fuisse (a chardonnay-based wine from Burgundy's Maconnais region). Another notable confusion is with "Fume Blanc" the name coined by Robert Mondavi for a distinct style of California sauvignon blancs. Many other New World producers also adopted the use of Fume Blanc but with an even more diverse style making excellent examples of this grape.
Pouilly-Fume wines are some of France's most vivacious. When exploring the qualities of the sauvignon blanc grown in this region you will notice it is much less pungent than the grassy racing acidity of New Zealand Marlborough region's sauvignon blancs. Pouilly-Fume has a tendency to be refreshing with green fruit aromas like green apple and lime with a mineral, wet wool, slate and smoky flint character.
THE VALUES
2018 Michel Redde La Moynerie Pouilly-Fume, France (about $29)
2018 Pascal Jolivet Pouilly-Fume, France (about $29)
THE SPLURGES
2018 Ladoucette Pouilly Fume, France (about $40)
2018 Dom A Cailbourdin Pouilly-Fume, France (about $34)
Lorri Hambuchen is a member of London's Institute of Wines and Spirits. Email:
uncorked@thewinecenter.com
Food on 06/03/2020