2009 Pouilly-Fumé: results of tasting in early June

 

View of the vineyards from Les Berthiers, Pouilly-sur-Loire

My apologies I had meant to get the results of the two day tasting at the offices of the Bureau du Centre at the beginning of June earlier but various things have intervened.

I have often been critical of the overall quality of Pouilly-Fumé. However, on this occasion they showed pretty well and were more homogeneous than those from neighbouring Sancerre, where in a number of instances lacked freshness probably due to high alcohol levels brought about in part by the small yields following the succession of hail storms. The best of the 2009 Pouilly-Fumés had a fine balance of ripe fruit and refreshing acidity.

Château Favray

The top wine: 
I had one clear favourite: Château de Favray from Quentin David. This stood clear of all the rest from the appellation. One of the people who joined me for the tasting was Mathilde David, the daughter of Quentin who was doing a stage at the Bureau du Centre. All the wines were tasted blind so it was a good surprise when the wine's identity was revealed. The 2009 Favray has attractive grassy aromas, ripe yellow plum flavours, good weight and a lovely balance which really makes the wine. 54 hl/ha was the yield for this wine with the grapes being picked by machine. Given the cleanness of the fruit in the 2009 vintage.

 

Quentin David: 2008 vintage 

 

Very well noted wines:

Régis Minet: Vent d'Anges  (hand picked)

Tinel Blondelet Cuvée Genetin (machine picked)

Well noted wines:

Caves de Pouilly Le Bergerie  (machine picked 60%, hand picked 40%)

Domaine de Boisfleury, Les Champs Billards (machine picked)

Francis Blanchet, Calcaire  (machine picked)

Eric Louis, Les  Affaubertis (machine picked)

Also noted

Domaine Fournier _ Les Deux Cailloux (both machine and hand picked)

Domaine Chatelain, Les Chailloux (machine picked)

Domaine Joseph Mellot, Le Chant des Vignes (machine picked)

Domaine Seguin (machine picked)

Tinel Blondelet Arrêt Buffante (machine picked)

Jean-Pierre Bailly  (machine picked)

   


 

Further 2008 harvest reports and photos

Benoît Roumet, director of the Bureau du Centre, told me this morning that the harvest at Sancerre and Pouilly is virtually finished and that the weather had continued to be favourable. They had a little rain but this may have benefitted those who picked later as it reduced the acidity and gave the grapes a little more juice.

I have now added further reports to 'A fine day in Pouilly and Sancerre' (7th October 2008). This postings is now finally complete.

These new additions are André Vatan, Pascal Reverdy, Stéphane Riffault, Gérard Cherrier (Château de Sancerre), Quentin David (Château Favray), Masson Blondelet and François Crochet.