Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine & Spirits
Scents of flint and sorrel hide the fruit of this wine at first, but they don’t hide its bold spice and nutty richness. Once the fruit emerges with air, there’s an openness to the flavors, packed with an intensity that warrants aging the wine for several years. Its bass notes and earthy flavors will match goat cheese with spring vegetables, or chicken paillard with mushrooms.
Capable of a vast array of styles, Sauvignon Blanc is a crisp, refreshing variety that equally reflects both terroir and varietal character. Though it can vary depending on where it is grown, a couple of commonalities always exist—namely, zesty acidity and intense aromatics. This variety is of French provenance. Somm Secret—Along with Cabernet Franc, Sauvignon Blanc is a proud parent of Cabernet Sauvignon. That green bell pepper aroma that all three varieties share is no coincidence—it comes from a high concentration of pyrazines (herbaceous aromatic compounds) inherent to each member of the family.
Famous in the Loire and throughout the world for perfumed Sauvignon blanc, Pouilly-Fume sits due east, across the Loire River from Sancerre. Limestone soils with clay and flint (also called silex) contribute to the wines' freshness and often times smoky, flinty, mineral character.