Wine & Spirits - April 2020 - 95

YEAR'S BEST
LOIRE SAUVIGNON BLANCS
Our blind panels tasted 105 Loire sauvignon blancs over the past 12 months. Joshua Greene, our critic for the Loire, rated 30 as exceptional (90+) and 12 as Best Buys. Find a complete list of wines tasted and all reviews at wineandspiritsmagazine.com.

M EN E T O U - S ALON
275576

90 | Isabelle et Pierre
Clément

P O U I L LY - FU M E
274669

94 | Dom. Patrice Moreux

$45

2017 Pouilly-Fumé Monopole La Loge
aux Moines ^ When Jeannine Corty of Pouilly
and Raymond Moreux of Sancerre married
in 1955, they brought together two families
of growers. As a wedding present from their
parents, the couple received this 11-acre parcel on the hillside of La Loge aux Moines, a
monopole first planted in the 11th century.
The vines grow in Kimmeridgian marl, a mix
of limestone and clay, and the Moreux family
began bottling it under their name in 2006.
They ferment it spontaneously in stainlesssteel tanks, where it then ages on the lees,
focusing the limestone freshness and refinement in notes of seashells that develop out of
the lees. With air, the richness of the clay in
the soil adds volumes to the texture, making
this feel grand, with an ornate and elaborate
complexity that brings to mind musk melon,
yellow watermelon and tart green apple. It's
long and powerful, a Pouilly-Fumé to age for
a decade or more. (W&S 2/20) § Verity Wine
Partners, NY

$36

90 | Domaine Fournier
Père & Fils

$35

2018 Pouilly-Fumé ^ This sauvignon ripened to generous, sunny orange flavors,
with enough acidity and freshness to keep its
weight in check. That acidity lengthens the
flavors with a tart hint of grapefruit, focusing
them for roast veal. § Artisans & Vines, Richmond, VA
275769

$26

2018 Menetou-Salon Classique ^ The Clément family farms 149 acres of vines in
Menetou-Salon, working with other local
growers as well. Their sauvignon is crisp and
clean, with floral notes of jasmine and honey,
brisk grapefruit flavors and a leesy hint of
buttery brioche. It's a bright white for panroasted sand dabs. § V.O.S. Selections, NY

90 | Comte Henry d'Assay

276443

92 | Saget La Perrière

$35

2018 Blanc Fumé de Pouilly ^ While the
Saget family has expanded throughout the
Loire, with six estates and a total of 890 acres
of vines, they make this wine at their original
home base in Pouilly-sur-Loire, where they
farm 25 acres of sauvignon for this classical
white. Fermented in stainless steel without
added yeasts, then aged on the lees for six
months, this wine shares toasty richness over
floral lime and grapefruit flavors. It's tensely
mineral before expanding in the finish, adding fleshiness to the fruit and notes of marzipan. Enjoy it with a creamy oyster pan roast. §
Taub Family Selections, Boca Raton, FL
275607

91 | Francis Blanchet

$23

2018 Pouilly-Fumé Cuvée Silice (Best
Buy) ^ From 40-year-old vines on silex soils,
the juice spontaneously fermented in stainless steel where it rests before bottling, this
is a complex and generous Pouilly-Fumé,
with musky lemon notes and a juicy line of
energy. It's creamy and rich, with the nuttiness of fresh pea shoots-a match for the
tandoori gobi (cauliflower, garlic, ginger and
Amul cheese) at Adda in Long Island City,
NY. § Skurnik Wines & Spirits, NY
276483

91 | Domaine Chatelain

$25

2017 Pouilly-Fumé Les Cailloux Silex
(Best Buy) ^ Salty and voluptuous, this is a
big wine with fat, juicy pear flavors and a
limey, mineral structure to keep its density
in check. The fruit comes from vines grown
on clay soils covered in pebbles and flint, the
wine fermented and aged in stainless steel.
Pour it with a pear and avocado salad. § Taub
Family Selections, Boca Raton, FL
275840

2016 Pouilly-Fumé Grande Cuvée ^ Selected
from vines aged 30 to 50 years old planted on
silex and clay, this wine ferments in stainless
steel and does not undergo malolactic conversion. It's a savory and smoky white, the
texture bold and juicy while the wine is more
oriented toward roots than fruit. With air,
it yields notes of tangerine and lemon blossoms. Decant it to serve with gingery, chargrilled salmon. § David Milligan Selections, NY

QUINC Y
275603

93 | Domaine Mardon

$22

92 | J. de Villebois

$26

91 | Domaine Trotereau

$23

2018 Quincy Cuvée Très Vieilles Vignes
(Best Buy) ^ The Mardon family sustains vines
ranging from 50 to 80 years old on sandy
gravel for this sauvignon. Delicious freshness races through the white fruit flavors of
peach and pear, tingling with pink grapefruit
acidity. Luscious, clean and mouthwatering,
this is sure to bring on smiles whether you
serve it with fresh chèvre or roast John Dory. §
Skurnik Wines & Spirits, NY
275732
2017 Quincy ^ Exotic melon and kumquat flavors enrich this generous sauvignon, bright
up front, then gentle with soft, lemony acidity in the end. Joost de Villebois and his team
acquired vineyards on Kimmeridgian marls
to produce this succulent wine, adding to the
range of this 16-year-old domaine. § Vineyard
Brands, Birmingham, AL
276230
2018 Quincy Vin Noble (Best Buy) ^ Pierre
Ragon grows sauvignon in Quincy's distinctive soils, where sand and silex layer over pink
limestone. Fermented in stainless steel withWINE & SPIRITS

APRIL 2020

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Wine & Spirits - April 2020

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