Pouilly Fume, France
Regular Price $28.99
Sale Price $22.99
Let’s be very clear…I prefer wines that are more acidic than fruity, wines that are a bit older rather than younger and wines that are more interesting than simply delicious. If, on the other hand, you prefer young, lush, thick, dramatic wines, you probably won’t like this wine at all.
But that’s okay. Really. It’s perfectly acceptable that we like different wines. It doesn’t mean that I have a better ‘palate’. I do taste a lot more wines than you do (because, its, like, my job), and so, its easier for me to compare and contrast different wines. BUT THAT’S ALL. And anyone thats suggests otherwise is a fool and a likely a crook.
But, I digress.
This wine is from the eastern end of the Loire Valley, an area called Pouilly-Fumé, not to be confused with Pouilly-Fuissé, an appellation at the southern end of Burgundy where Chardonnay is grown. Here in Pouilly-Fumé, Sauvignon Blanc is the grape and the wines are typically fresh and citrusy with appreciable minerality. Sauvignon Blanc from here is not completely unlike those from its nearby neighbor, Sancerre, with the principal difference being that Pouilly-Fumé is often denser and richer than Sancerre.
This wine is definately that. Bigger and richer, that is. M. Deschamps allows the wine (while aging in stainless steel and concrete) to sit on it’s lies from an additional year, thereby adding more texture and weight to the wine. While still undeniably Sauvignon Blanc, this wine has a depth of flavor and grip that is remarkable, especially at this price. This is yet another wine that upends the conventional (and incorrect) wisdom that judges white wines to be ‘thin’ and ‘light’. Oh, and by the way, it will age much better than the sweet Napa Cabs that the wine bigots are always jawing about. But, as this is a 2014, you can decide that on your own.