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Word on Wine

Hopefully the cold weather will soon be behind us and we can look forward to the spring. With this in mind, let’s look at a white wine that you may have heard of but possibly do not know much about.

The wine is Pouilly-Fumé from the Loire Valley in central France. This is one of France’s famous wines and has become the signature white wine of the Loire region. Made using the Sauvignon Blanc grape, it creates a wine with steely minerality from the limestone soils of the region. The wine carries its own special Appellation Pouilly-Fumé Contrôlée given in 1937 which, unlike other wine Appellation Contrôlée, is limited to white wine only. The region encompasses 7 parishes on the right bank of the Loire Valley and, although in Burgundy, the wine remains quintessentially a ‘Loire Valley’ wine. The name is in two parts, firstly ‘Pouilly’ is an abbreviation for Pouilly-sur-Loire, the village where the wine originated, and ‘Fumé’ is French for smoky, one of the characteristics of the wine.

Before the phylloxera problems of the 1870s, the region’s main grapes were Gamay and Pinot Noir. It was found that by grafting of European vines onto American rootstock, vines that were resilient to the virus could be restored to the region. The grafted Sauvignon Blanc grew better than the previous red varieties, and so it became the region’s most planted grape variety. The 1970s and 80s saw a great rise in the popularity of Pouilly-Fumé. To retain the AOC classification the yields are limited to between 6500 and 7500 litres per hectare with a planting density of 6000 vines per hectare. The 1980s saw a number of producers use oak in the production of the wine, adding more aromatics and texture. It also helped with cellaring of the wines, allowing modern Pouilly-Fumé to improve for between 3 - 6 years.

This wine is from Domaine des Patureaux in Verdigny. This small, family-owned domain has passed its winemaking knowledge from generation to generation. The estate benefits from a range of terroirs and, by giving respect to the environment, produces complex wines reflecting the region. As with most French wines the label and online information is very thin.

Technical Details:

Grape: 100% Sauvignon Blanc Appearance: Clean, clear appearance. Nose / Aroma: Floral and perfume notes Taste: Crisp and elegant wine with hints of smoke, citrus fruit, grass and green apple, with steely minerality. Alcohol by Volume: 14% Food match: Drink on its own or with fish and seafood dishes. Available from: Majestic wine, £15.99 per bottle (£13.99 as part of a mixed 6).

For more information and to buy the wine visit the Majestic website or their shop on Ashbourne Road in Derby.

If you like wine and would like to learn more, please visit our website www.kilburnwinecircle.weebly.com or our Facebook page for details of future tasting in 2022.

By David Savidge, Kilburn Wine Circle

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