Centre-Loire > Pouilly Fumé
Pouilly Fumé
AOP/AOC by decree dated 31st July 1937, amended 28th June 2011
Vineyards
Location: The Pouilly Fumé vineyards lie in the Nièvre département on the right bank of the Loire, taking in the communes of Pouilly, Mesves sur Loire, Tracy sur Loire, St Andelain, Les Berthiers, St Martin sur Nohain and St Laurent l’Abbaye.
History: The Pouilly vineyards appear to have been officially recognised as early as the 5th century. They were then further developed by monks in the 12th century (a plot of land facing the Loire is still called the “Loge aux Moines”); the monastic influence grew stronger still when the Pouilly lands were passed to the Bénédictins de la Charité for the sum of 3,100 sous and one silver Mark. When the Briare canal opened in the wine 1642, trade set its sights on the Paris markets. From 1860 to 1890, the vineyards grew Chasselas table grapes, sending them by rail (the railway arrived in Pouilly in 1861) to Chasselas, for Pouilly sur Loire. Both achieved AOC status in 1937.
Soils: A variety of soil types can be identified here: Barrois and Villiers limestone (caillottes), Kimmeridgian marl with oyster shell, clay/limestone and siliceous clay.
Climate: Temperate with a continental influence. Temperatures vary widely, from -1°C in the winter to 26°C in summer. Annual rainfall is around 720mm.
Wines
Average annual production over the last 5 years: 71,000 hl.
Base yield: 65 hl/ha.
Varietal: Sauvignon blanc.
Growing practices:
Minimum planting density: 6,000 vines per hectare with a high and low trellising supply the capital. In 1929, once the phylloxera crisis was over, two a special system.
Pruning: Single guyot and cordon de royat.
Tasting Notes
Pouilly-Fumé: Aromas of broom and grapefruit, with discernible notes of gunflint in wines from siliceous soils. The wines are made to drink young, although some cuvées show good potential for aging.
Aging potential
Food/wine pairings
Grilled or roasted sea fish, scallops, quinoa massala with coconut and cabbage, roast pork with smoked Edam.
