Cyprien Perchaud Pouilly Fumé 2023

If someone asked you to name a famous appellation within France’s Loire Valley, most likely, you’d say Sancerre or Pouilly Fumé.  Interestingly, these two world-renowned designations produce Sauvignon Blanc and are located just across the Loire River from one another, mere meters away.  Despite their proximity and penchant for the same varietal, the appellations have distinctive personalities due to the slight differences in terroir.  Most prominently, the flint-flecked soils that give Pouilly-Fumé its notorious name.  Producer Cyprien Perchaud is well-versed in these wines as his label dabbles in making both Sancerre and Pouilly Fumé, and Cyprien is a 2nd generation Loire Valley winemaker.  2021 was his first solo vintage after making wine under his uncles’ tutelage since earning a degree in enology in Beaune.

Before the phylloxera outbreak of the late 19th century, Pouilly-sur-Loire (the town surrounded by the Sancerre and Pouilly Fumé appellations) mainly boasted Pinot Noir and Gamay vineyards like its flanking region of Burgundy.  However, once the solution of vine grafting took hold, local growers realized Sauvignon Blanc vines withstood the technique in a much heartier fashion.  Hence, the area slowly transitioned to predominantly Sauvignon Blanc and Chasselas (a rare Swiss varietal) plantings.  One notable and repeated characteristic of the Sauvignon Blanc crafted here from the right bank of the Loire River was an overwhelming smoky perfume akin to that of gunflint.  This unusual yet fascinating aroma became a point of pride for winemakers and a highly sought-after and studied trait.  Scholars credit the reductive nature of the wines to the limestone and clay soils littered with flint rock.  In addition to imparting powerful aromatics, the soil makeup impacts the ripening of the vineyards due to its reflective and heat absorption capabilities.  As Pouilly-sur-Loire is almost perfectly in the center of France, there is no maritime influence to moderate temperatures, meaning winters and evenings are very cold.  Limestone and flint retain and reflect the sun’s warmth onto the clusters so they can fully ripen despite the cooler temperatures.  In 1936, these Sauvignon Blancs earned AOC classification as Pouilly Fumé; fumé translates to smoke in French and refers to the aroma and the greyish bloom that appears on the grapes right before full ripening.

With Pouilly Fumé’s rise in popularity during the 1970s and 1980s came an increase in plantings and production.  Sauvignon Blanc vineyards outgrew Chasselas exponentially and now comprise almost 98% of all grapes in the area.  Winemakers also began leaning on more oak integration in the 1980s to texturize the palate and craft wines with age-ability.  Cyprien chose stainless steel for the 2023 fermentation and aged the wine on the lees for seven months to add richness to the wine.  Its expressive nose hints of bergamot, lime zest, and gooseberries with touches of flint mingling with a green, vegetal note.  Allow the wine a few minutes to warm slightly in your glass for the ultimate experience of its round texture and reductive aromas, with a zip of acid and minerality.