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2018 Pouilly-Fumé “Vieilles Vignes”
Régis MinetMy colleagues and I used to stack large volumes of wine for our consumption in the naturally cool, pebbled cellar below our Beaune office on Cour des Chartreux—a bygone luxury now that I live in a studio in Brooklyn. We’d order Minet’s Pouilly-Fumé by the case as an alternative to the Bourgogne blancs we’d become accustomed to. Grown in Kimmeridgian soil and made from 100% Sauvignon Blanc, Pouilly-Fumé will never shake the comparison to neighboring Sancerre. But I find Minet’s to be unmistakably Burgundian: less pungent and creamier than Sancerre, with the refined mineral texture of polished stone.
—Jane Berg
Wine Type: | white |
Vintage: | 2018 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | Sauvignon Blanc |
Appellation: | Pouilly Fumé |
Country: | France |
Region: | Loire |
Producer: | Régis Minet |
Winemaker: | Régis Minet |
Vineyard: | 25 - 30 years, 10 ha |
Soil: | Clay, Marl, Kimmeridgian Limestone |
Aging: | Wine ages for 6 months on fine lees in stainless steel. Depending on the vintage, the lees are stirred two to three times during this time |
Farming: | Lutte Raisonnée |
Alcohol: | 13% |
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About The Producer
Régis Minet
About The Region
Loire
The defining feature of the Loire Valley, not surprisingly, is the Loire River. As the longest river in France, spanning more than 600 miles, this river connects seemingly disparate wine regions. Why else would Sancerre, with its Kimmeridgian limestone terroir be connected to Muscadet, an appellation that is 250 miles away?
Secondary in relevance to the historical, climatic, environmental, and cultural importance of the river are the wines and châteaux of the Jardin de la France. The kings and nobility of France built many hundreds of châteaux in the Loire but wine preceded the arrival of the noblesse and has since out-lived them as well.
Diversity abounds in the Loire. The aforementioned Kimmderidgian limestone of Sancerre is also found in Chablis. Chinon, Bourgueil, and Saumur boast the presence of tuffeau, a type of limestone unique to the Loire that has a yellowish tinge and a chalky texture. Savennières has schist, while Muscadet has volcanic, granite, and serpentinite based soils. In addition to geologic diversity, many, grape varieties are grown there too: Cabernet Franc, Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, and Melon de Bourgogne are most prevalent, but (to name a few) Pinot Gris, Grolleau, Pinot Noir, Pineau d’Aunis, and Folle Blanche are also planted. These myriad of viticultural influences leads to the high quality production of every type of wine: red, white, rosé, sparkling, and dessert.
Like the Rhône and Provence, some of Kermit’s first imports came from the Loire, most notably the wines of Charles Joguet and Château d’Epiré—two producers who are featured in Kermit’s book Adventures on the Wine Route and with whom we still work today.
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2020 Saumur Blanc “L’Échelier”
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2021 Val de Loire Blanc “Cirrus”
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2022 Jasnières “Dyane”
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2020 Chinon “Les Petites Roches”
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2018 Vin de France Rouge Grolleau/Cabernet Franc
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2022 Chinon Rosé
Bernard Baudry France | Loire
2019 Vouvray “Le Portail”
Champalou France | Loire
2020 Vouvray “Pierres Rousses”
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
2018 Muscadet Sèvre et Maine “Gorges”
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2021 Vin de France Blanc “Centenaire”
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2022 Quincy “Château de Quincy”
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Kermit once said...
Kermit once said...
A good doctor prescribed the wine of Nuits-Saint-Georges to the Sun King, Louis XIV, when he suffered an unknown maladie. When the king’s health was restored the tasty remedy enjoyed a vogue at court. Lord, send me a doctor like that!
Inspiring Thirst, page 117