Pouilly Fume MCMLV 2023 Domaine du Bouchot

Tasting Notes

First impressions? Smoke. The minty notes that Pouilly-Fumé is famous for, but here it's on the bottom, not the top. Then come notes of white peach, grapefruit seeds, and blackcurrant leaf; there's flesh in the 2023, and the warm summer has prevented that, but the acidity keeps it all in check. The salty, almost chalky finish keeps pulling you back. It's great to drink now, and even better with some air.

Grape Varieties

Pouilly-Fumé means "one grape."

It is 100% Sauvignon Blanc harvested from vines planted in 1955.

So why does the same variety of grape taste so different here than in Marlborough or Sancerre on the other side of the river? Old vines and Silex: The vines, planted in 1955, are planted deep in the soil, giving the wine a sense of concentration without heaviness. The flint in the soil also gives it the smoky character that gave it its name.

Cellaring Potential

Drink between 2025 and 2032; the 2023 wine can be drunk young thanks to its ripe fruit, but the acidity and concentration of the old vines will be rewarded with an additional 3-5 years of bottle aging; lay down and store at 10-14°C. The wine should be kept at 10-14°C. Expect the smoky aromas to deepen with age, and the citrus fruitiness to transform into honey and beeswax.

The Producer

Domaine du Bouchot is a small estate in Pouilly-Fumé that is thoroughly committed to its own way of doing things. Antoine Gufier took over in 2018 after 12 years working abroad, including Michel Rolland in Argentina and Duncan Savage in South Africa. He returned to the first certified organic farm in Pouilly-Fumé in 2009, and in 2022 the estate was named "Discovery of the Year" by La Revue du Vin de France. Gufier is one of the most exciting young producers in the Loire today.

Terroir & Climate

Saint-Andrand sits on a hill studded with flint, silex and its smoky characteristics that gave Pouilly-Fumé its name. Why it matters: when two flint stones strike each other, they produce sparks and smoke. The vines take this feature into the grapes. Bouchaud also works with cayote (shallow stony limestone) and terre blanche (heavy kimmeridge clay with high marine fossil content). The vineyard is on a single southwestern slope, and the climate is semi-continental, with the Loire moderating the cold.

Winemaking

Antoine Gouffier's rules in the cellar are simple. The wines are harvested by hand and fermentation begins spontaneously with indigenous yeasts. Most of the wine is fermented in stainless steel, but a small amount goes into French oak barrels or amphorae (clay vessels that are still rare in the region). This combination makes the difference. The stainless steel retains the citrus and flint notes, the oak adds texture, and the amphoras give rounded flavors and savory notes. The vineyard is certified organic and biodynamic. This is not a refined Sauvignon. It is lively.

Food Pairing

Smoke and saltiness require food with fat and brine. There are several directions:

• Crottin de Chavignol, a local goat cheese. There is a reason for the classic.
• Grilled oysters or sea bass with lemon.
• Loire River fish, sandre (pikeperch) with beurre blanc.
• White asparagus with hollandaise sauce.

Serve chilled at 10-12°C. If served too chilled, the flint flavor will be lost.