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Pouilly-Fumé
Pouilly-Fumé lies in the east of the Loire, opposite Sancerre on the other bank. The appellation is for white wine from sauvignon blanc alone.
Our range includes wines from Pouilly-Fumé by Didier Dagueneau and Baron de Ladoucette. If you would like to explore the Loire further, you will also find Saumur-Champigny in our range.
Grape and style
Pouilly-Fumé is white wine made from sauvignon blanc. The wine is dry, clear and lively, with aromas of citrus, gooseberry, green apple and freshly cut grass, often complemented by a smoky, flinty touch. That touch gave the wine its name: fumé means smoked.
Compared with sauvignon blanc from warmer regions, Pouilly-Fumé is finer and tauter, less tropical and with firm minerality. It should not be confused with Pouilly-Fuissé, a white wine made from chardonnay in Burgundy.
Location and soil
The appellation lies on the right bank of the Loire in the east of the region, around the town of Pouilly-sur-Loire. On the other side of the river lies Sancerre, which is likewise based on sauvignon blanc. The climate is continental, with cold winters and warm summers.
The soil is clay-chalk with plenty of flint, on gentle slopes. On chalky ground a fine, aromatic wine often results, while the flint soils give a smokier and tauter character. Many producers blend plots to find that balance.
Classification and rules
Pouilly-Fumé is an AOC in its own right for dry white wine. Sauvignon blanc is mandatory, and the wine must come from the delimited communes around Pouilly-sur-Loire. Another type of wine from the same area, made from chasselas, falls under the separate appellation Pouilly-sur-Loire.
For Pouilly-Fumé there is no official division into grand and premier cru. The label may, however, show the name of a plot, for example on wines made from a particular flint plot and aged for longer.
Ageing and serving
Most Pouilly-Fumé is meant to be drunk young, within a few years of the harvest, but the better wines from good plots can age surprisingly well and then develop a richer, honeyed and nutty tone. Decanting is not necessary.
Serve at 8 to 10 °C. The wine pairs well with oysters and shellfish, grilled fish, asparagus, fresh goat’s cheese and salads with herbs. If you would like to try a red Loire wine alongside this white, Saumur-Champigny is a good choice.
Producers in our range
These producers feature in our Pouilly-Fumé range: Didier Dagueneau (Pur Sang) and Baron de Ladoucette (Baron de L).
More from the Loire
You will find more wines from the Loire under Saumur-Champigny.