Marc Deschamps Vinealis Pouilly-Fume 2012
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Robert
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The nose of the 2012 Pouilly-Fumé Vinealis certainly picks up the oak, but if you dedicate this bouquet just some minutes of your time – and believe me it’s worth to do so, all the more so if you managed to snatch one of the rare bottles – you discover the real character of this beautiful elegant Fumé. Lovely Physalis, peaches and nectarine aromas in the beginning are enriched with freshly stewed wild mushrooms served with flat-leaf parsley on a washed stone with a dash of citrus. Suddenly, the oak fades away and you discover a pure, highly elegant, and noble-structured and philosophic wine that might eliminate you from your environment and drag you in total into its matter. "Don’t just drink me, detect me," the wines seems to say when you are already fully absorbed. Although this powerful wine is highly rich and complex it is a hymn to the freshness, elegance and balance of Pouilly-Fumé, whereas the intensity and length of fruit and minerality of the broad, rich and persistent 2012 is absolutely unique.
The domaine consists of approximately 8.5 hectares of vineyards, all of which are located in the legendary sector of Les Loges just north of the village of Pouilly-sur-Loire and known as "the hamlet of the vignerons." Harvest is manual; the fermentation takes place in a mix of stainless steel and cement cuves. Only natural yeasts are used. The wines are left on the lees a considerable time. The malolactic fermentation rarely occurs. The wines are generally racked for the first time in January following the harvest. A light fining and filtration takes place prior to bottling which occurs in June for all wines except the "Les Champs de Cri" and the "Cuvé Vinéalis," both of which are bottled later (normally between July and September). These wines are classic examples of the appellation: rich, powerful, marked by an undercurrent of minerality and, above all, expressing the precision, elegance and exceptional length that makes the wines of the hamlet of Les Loges the envy of all the producers of Pouilly Fumé.
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.