Loire

Communal appellation located on the upper Loire in central France, south-east of Orléans. It should not be confused with the AC Pouilly-Fuissé in the Mâcon region in Burgundy. The vineyards were established by Benedictine monks in the Middle Ages. The region has a total vineyard area of more than 1.000 hectares, spread over 7 communes. Incidentally, a white wine from this region was one of the favourite wines of emperor Napoleon (1769-1821). The name is derived from the town of Pouilly-sur-Loire on the right bank of the river (which has also given its name to a separate AC) and the attribute fumé (smoky). This is said to refer to the taste imparted by the soil, which is rich in flintstone and limestone (Fusil), while another version has it that the name refers to a grey, smoke-coloured layer found on the grapes during ripening. This area is dominated by Sauvignon Blanc, which fares particularly well here. This is used to make an exceptional varietal white wines with a minimum alcohol content of 11% vol. Some of the wines are fermented in barrels and matured in barriques. The wines are dry and fruity with a long maturation potential, reaching their peak only after 4 to 6 years. It is fiery and full-bodied with a complex bouquet of flintstone, gooseberries and asparagus. Well-known producers include Cailbourdin, Jean-Claude Châtelain, Domaine Paul Corneau, Didier Dagueneau#Dagueneau Didier, Château de Favray, André et Edmond Figeat, Ladoucette, Domaine Landrat-Guyollot, Domaine Jacques Marchand, Domaine Masson-Blondelet, Redde, Domaine Tinel-Blondelet and Château de Tracy. Neighbouring appellations are Menetou-Salon, Quincy, Reuilly and Sancerre; they produce wines very similar to Pouilly-Fumé.