Sauvignon Blanc Meets Terrific Terroir in Deschamps' Pouilly-Fumé
While there may be a river (and a longstanding rivalry) between them, Pouilly-Fumé and Sancerre have a lot in common. They share the same incredible Kimmeridgian soils. And they both have impressive histories of producing beautifully etched Sauvignon Blanc with pronounced mineral depth.
So why does Pouilly-Fumé fly under the radar while Sancerre enjoys megawatt stardom? Simple: volume. With almost double the amount of land under vine, Sancerre produces more wine and has wider distribution.
Sancerre may be ubiquitous, but the fact remains that some of the most profound expressions of Sauvignon Blanc are from Pouilly-Fumé. Didier Dagueneau's legendary, barrel-aged cuvées are exquisite, rare, and expensive.
But other, smaller producers in Pouilly-Fumé offer outstanding values: great wines from top sites that are delicious and also genuine expressions of this very special terroir.
Marc Deschamps, one of Neal Rosenthal's classic producers, is a Flatiron favorite every year. He started out as a vineyard worker for the Figeat family, but bought their property in 1991. Today he farms the old vines organically and makes a range of single-vineyard expressions that are classic representations of P-F terroir.
Les Champs de Cri is the crown jewel of that range. The vines are over 60-years-old and planted in clay-limestone soils over deep Kimmeridgian sub-soils. Like great Chablis and Sancerre (both of which come from similar soils) this Pouilly Fumé is an elegant and delicious young wine, but also a no-brainer for a few years in the cellar -- if you have the space.
Les Champs de Cri is the crown jewel of that range. The vines are over 60-years-old and planted in clay-limestone soils over deep Kimmeridgian sub-soils. Like great Chablis and Sancerre (both of which come from similar soils) this Pouilly Fumé is an elegant and delicious young wine, but also a no-brainer for a few years in the cellar -- if you have the space.
But whether it's for drinking with dinner now or laying down for medium term aging, Les Champs de Cri offers more gorgeous, mineral-rich pleasure than anything else we've seen at this price in ages -- especially with today's Newsletter discounts:
Deschamps, Pouilly-Fumé "Les Champs de Cri", 2017
Les Champs de Cri owes its impressive structure and definition to the limestone-clay soils of this exceptional vineyard. Opening with classic Pouilly-Fumé herbaceousness, chamomile and mint on the nose give way to a concentrated, creamy palate loaded with pineapple, custard and peach. With its firm mineral core, and long finish of seaspray and lime, this is your new go-to white for summer barbecues and pairing with shellfish, especially crab and lobster.