Pascal Jolivet Pouilly-Fumé 2017
Grape Varietal: 100% Sauvignon Blanc
Growing Region: Pouilly-Fumé AOP, Loire - France
Owner / Chief Winemaker: Pascal Jolivet
4 Stars ★★★★
It has been a few years since I visited Pascal Jolivet, with his winery some 200kms south of Paris on the east bank of the Loire River. Though I am due to spend some time this coming summer. So I can get a feel for the 2020 growing season and a heads up on future wines that will be offered to pair with expectations and cuisine served in New Zealand. Pascal has some 8 hectares in the Pouilly-Fumé appellation, in the villages of Tracy and Les Loges.
The close proximity of the Loire River results in a particular micro-climate. Along with being surrounded by forest creates a relatively mild micro-climate for the vineyards. There is dramatic variance in the soil types between each village. The soils in Les Loges (50% of blend) are chalky, giving the resultant wine length and body, while in St Andelain (30% of blend) and Tracy (20% of blend) flint and clay dominate the mid-palate. The grapes grown in these soils add ripeness and fruit to the character to the blend. These unique soils gives the fruit a most impressive bouquet, along with giving the resulting wine length and body.
Pascal’s winemaking philosophy is to simply work in harmony with nature and produce wines with purity of fruit, a linear character and minerality, allowing a natural expression of the vineyard to give the wines a sense of place.
After harvest, the grapes travelled back to the winery, where they were hand sorted and then gently pressed. The juice is then fermented in stainless steel tanks using natural yeasts, at 16°C for approximately 30 days. Each unique village parcel was fermented separately in order that the wine fully express their differences. Then when fermentation was complete the blended wine spent a further two months ageing in tanks before being bottled and labelled.
• As you pour this wine into your glass - you are greeted by a pale yellow colour with a honey hue. On the nose green pears and a defined mineral-chalky note. The palate if a live with light citrus fruits, lemon curd and a subtle seam white peach and firm mango skin flavour. The wine has more mouth-feel and palate appeal than might be first expected from this varietal. The wine have delicate layers of flavours and personality. All nicely balanced by good fruit acidity a mineral backbone and a finesse note of gooseberry on the lingering flinty dry finish.
This 2017 Pascal Jolivet Pouilly-Fumé has 12% Alc./vol. - and made classic dry. Chill gently and serve in an aromatic wine glass at 9°- 10°C.
CELLARING POTENTIAL: *(Review 18/1/20)
Drinking perfectly well this season; plus will hold nicely for another 12 - 18 months.
FOOD PAIRING SUGGESTIONS:
Perfect wine pairing with whole grilled fish, herb-crusted salmon, fresh shellfish, crayfish / lobster, lightly seasoned vegetarian dishes or goats’ cheese on thin toasted bread - enjoy.
