Day 10 | Pouilly‑Fumé AOC
Sauvignon Blanc with a Smoky Edge
Cross the Loire from Sancerre and the landscape tilts gently south toward the river, trading chalky hilltops for pockets of glinting silex. This is Pouilly‑Fumé, a small plateau where morning mists from the water cool Sauvignon Blanc just enough to lock in acidity while afternoon heat ripens citrus into green‑mango. The name fumé - meaning “smoky” - comes from both the grape’s wax‑bloomed berries, nicknamed blanc fumé, and the subtle struck‑flint note that silex soils stamp on the wine. The style sits between Sancerre’s precision and New World exuberance. Kimmeridgian limestone, flinty silex, and pockets of chalk knit these aromas together, giving the wine its trademark fumé; a touch of struck‑match and wet stone under the fruit.
What You’ll Taste
Primary Notes - Grapefruit, green mango, white peach, and elderflower.
Secondary / Acidity - Distinct gunflint smoke and high acidity that lengthens the finish.
Texture / Finish - Medium body, bone‑dry, and lingering saline snap.
Terroir & Winemaking Deep Dive
Pouilly‑Fumé’s vineyards hug gentle south and west‑facing slopes at 200–300 m. Three soil groups shape the wine. Silex (flint) warms quickly, pushing sugars yet imparting a mineral smokiness unique to the appellation. Terres blanches (Kimmeridgian limestone‑clay) add weight and a creamy mid‑palate, while caillottes (pebbly chalk‑limestone) deliver razor acidity and bright aromatics.
Grapes are hand‑picked at dawn, sorted, then pressed under inert gas. Fermentation runs cool in stainless or neutral barrels. Top domaines keep a share in large oak or acacia casks to broaden texture without overlaying oak flavour.
Lees aging for four to eight months lends subtle roundness, but malolactic is typically blocked to protect the variety’s electric edge. The result is Sauvignon Blanc that balances ripe citrus and tropical hints with a precise, smoky mineral line. The wines usually end up drinking well on release, yet develop honeyed complexity and lanolin after five to seven years.
Producers to Visit
Domaine Didier Dagueneau - Iconic “Silex” cuvée: concentrated grapefruit, herbs, and long, flinty backbone.
Domaine Jonathan Didier Pabiot - Organic; Les Faugeres shows lime zest, white flowers, and pure, chalky length.
Domaine Masson‑Blondelet - Vineyard‑specific bottlings highlight soil nuance; “Clos du Château Paladi” marries peach and smoky stone.
Travel Spotlight – Exploring Pouilly‑sur‑Loire
Stay - Le Relais de Pouilly Riverside rooms with Loire River views. Expect a crisp glass of fumé waiting at check‑in.
Dine - Le Coq Hardi Terrace over the river. Pair Loire pike‑perch with beurre blanc awith your Pouilly‑Fumé.
Swirl - Loire à Vélo Path Cycle the floodplain, stop at riverside lookouts, and taste wine while looking out at the flint soils exposed in the cliffs across the water.
Quiz
How would you expect a pure silex bottling to differ in aroma and structure from one grown entirely on caillottes?