2015 Puligny-Montrachet “Les Chalumaux”Comtesse de Chérisey
France | Burgundy
$120
Producers
My 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: | 2019 |
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% |
Éric Chevalier France | Loire | Muscadet Côtes de Grand Lieu
Charles Joguet France | Loire | Chinon
Thierry Germain France | Loire | Saumur-Champigny
Charles Joguet France | Loire | Chinon
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.
Château d’Epiré France | Loire | Savennières
Daniel Chotard France | Loire | Sancerre
Domaine Hippolyte Reverdy France | Loire | Sancerre
Hippolyte Reverdy France | Loire | Sancerre
Bernard Baudry France | Loire | Chinon
Thierry Germain France | Loire | Saumur
Domaine Roger Neveu France | Loire | Sancerre
Thierry Germain France | Loire | Saumur
Domaine de la Chanteleuserie France | Loire | Bourgueil
Domaine de Reuilly France | Loire | Reuilly
Charles Joguet France | Loire | Chinon
Trust the great winemakers, trust the great vineyards. Your wine merchant might even be trustworthy. In the long run, that vintage strip may be the least important guide to quality on your bottle of wine.—Kermit Lynch
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