Not to be confused with Pouilly Fuissé, a proud representative of the Mâconnais region, Pouilly Fumé is a white wine from the Loire Valley. Let’s take a closer look at the 2018 vintage.

The Pouilly Fumé appellation

Planted on 57,100 hectares and divided into 5 sub-regions, the Loire vineyards account for 10% of French wine production. Pouilly Fumé is produced in the Centre-Val-de-Loire sub-region, around the village of Pouilly-sur-Loire. Since 1937, Pouilly Fumé has been classified as an Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée. 1,400 hectares of vines produce some 10 million bottles a year.

Have you ever wondered why this wine is called “smoky”? Of the many explanations that exist, two stand out as the most authoritative. The first is that, once ripe, the Blanc Fumé grapes (synonymous with Sauvignon blanc) are covered with a thin, waxy, gray film, giving the illusion of a veil of smoke. The second has its origins in the vineyard’s flinty subsoil. The “fumé” would then refer to the “fumet” of the “pierre à fusil” that is released when flint is rubbed.

The splendor of Sauvignon blanc

Pouilly Fumé is made from Sauvignon Blanc grapes grown on Kimmeridgian soil (gray marl alternating with layers of comma-shaped oyster fossils), which is also composed of flint and gravel. A semi-oceanic, semi-continental climate enables Sauvignon blanc, once vinified, to produce musky, fresh, dry wines with fruity, mineral overtones. Sauvignon Blanc’s hallmarks are boxwood, broom and blackcurrant buds on the nose, and lemon, grapefruit, melon and fresh grass on the palate.

Focus on the 2018 vintage

Sauvignon Blanc is highly sensitive to variations in natural conditions (terroir, climate, microclimate, altitude, exposure, etc.), and thus produces Pouilly Fumé wines that vary greatly from one year to the next. The weather picture for 2018 is relatively mixed: a mild spring enabled early flowering, but an extremely rainy June led to heavy mildew pressure on the vines. A very dry, hot summer and a sunny month of September enabled the grapes to reach perfect ripeness, resulting in a harvest of both quality and quantity.

The first Sauvignons harvested showed citrus and pineapple aromas, while those harvested later showed apricot and peach aromas. These aromatic variations have resulted in a beautiful complexity for the 2018 vintage.

The 2018 Pouilly Fumé vintages are therefore of the highest quality, with excellent ageing potential. They reached their peak in 2021, after 5 years of beneficial aging.

Cuvée Jules (a Pouilly Fumé from Domaine Fouassier) vintage 2018 is a very fine illustration of this year’s quality, with a perfect balance between roundness and liveliness, on notes of ripe fruit and a fresh mineral finish.

Pouilly Fumé 2018 is the perfect accompaniment to scallops or grilled sea fish.