Domaine la Grappe d’Or Pouilly-Fumé Blanc 75cl

Excellent Sauvignon Blanc wines are produced in many global winegrowing regions, these days. Yet Pouilly-Fumé and Sancerre in the eastern Loire Valley remain the benchmarks for the variety. Facing each other on opposing sides of the Loire River, the two are very similar, but there are difference. You’ll find some Pinot Noir vineyards on the Sancerre side, but Pouilly-Fumé is 100 percent Sauvignon Blanc territory.

That said, it’s not surprising that even the experts can be stumped in a Pouilly-Fume/Sancerre blind-tasting considering their close physical proximity. The cool continental climate furnishes a brisk acidic backbone and amazingly long finish to the wines, while the limestone soils found on both sides of the river deliver their hallmark minerality. However,Pouilly-Fumé’s limestone yields less chalk and more flint. This distinguishing feature is not surprising: the name Pouilly-Fumé refers not only to the town of Pouilly-sur-Loire, but also to the flint that’s the reputed source of the distinctive smoky aromatics known as “fumé” in French.