Domaine du Bouchot Pouilly Fume '1955' Sauvignon Blanc 2019
"A family estate since 1987, in 2019, Antoine Gouffier purchased Domaine du Bouchot, located in Pouilly-sur-Loire, from Rachel and Pascal Kerbiquet, embarking on a new beginning. His knowledge of the area is profound as he was born and raised in the region and started working in the vineyards during his childhood.
In 2009 Bouchot was the first in the appellation to become certified organic, and Antoine has finalized the biodynamic certification. The wines will be labeled with the Demeter logo starting with the 2020 vintage. A 10-hectare property, it is mainly planted to Sauvignon Blanc, with a few vines of Chasselas, on the southwest side of the hill from the village of Saint-Andelain. The wines reflect the unmistakable character of each of the vineyards: the Kimmeridgian marl soil is of white clay, limestone, and fossilized oysters from ancient seabeds, and the Portlandian terroir (limestone with layered, small rocks) lend a flinty, mineral quality to the wines – the differentiating characteristics lending to a unique purity and clarity.
Antoine believes in minimal intervention in his winemaking, using indigenous yeast and stainless steel for fermentation. He is also experimenting with amphorae. The wines are vinified without sulfur. The Domaine produces three different Pouilly-Fumé: Cuvée Terres Blanches from the Kimmeridgian marl soils, Cuvée Les Caillotes from Portlandian soils, and Cuvée 1955 from the oldest vines on the estate. In addition, he produces a Pouilly-sur-Loire made from 100% Chasselas and one Vin de France called Orange, a 100% Sauvignon vinified on the skin for five months without SO2 and aged for one year in 2-year-old barrels with 1g/L SO2.
Antoine’s dedication and respect for terroir culminate in his representations of Sauvignon Blanc from Pouilly-Fumé. The resulting wines display a fruity, floral, and intense minerality. As a young vigneron who has taken the reigns at the Domaine du Bouchot, his wines express a vibrant, elegant, balanced tension, and he is achieving new heights in the appellation." -Importer notes