Awards & Accolades:

Winner Silver Medal, International Wine Challenge 2008;

Second place Prowein 2008, France 2008 competition

About This Wine:

Domaine Bouchie-Chatellier’s special reserve, produced only in select years and in small quantities (10,000 bottles) that sell out quickly.

“Premiere Millésimé” 2006 Pouilly-Fumé is a full-bodied and complex Sauvignon Blanc with concentrated fruit (white peach, citrus and gooseberry), herbaceous and gunflint notes, minerality and the acidity required to give the wine balance and structure.

The grapes are harvested by hand from a prime plot high on the Saint-Andelain hill in the Loire Valley, known for its Silex (limestone) soil. The vineyard is next door to the late Didier Dagueneau’s celebrated estate, which is regarded by many as producing the best Sauvignon Blanc in the world. (They also sell for 3 to 4 the price as the wines produced by Domaine Bouchie-Chatellier!)

The vines used to produce the wine are between 40 and 50 years old. After the grapes are pneumatically pressed (a gentle process that helps to minimize the tannins caused by crushed skins and seeds), the large solids settle out from the juice by gravity. Indigenous yeasts begin the thermo-regulated fermentation over 3 weeks on the fine lees, which adds complexity and richness to the wine. The wine is then aged for a year for added depth and finesse before release. No oak is used at any stage in the process so the tannins are soft. Nothing interferes with the varietal expression of the Sauvignon Blanc grape and the terroir — that unique combination of climate, topography and soil that distinguishes a Pouilly-Fumé from other Sauvignon Blancs.

Produced in very small quantities (10,000 bottles) that sell out quickly, Premier Millésimé drinks beautifully now and will only improve with age (3 to 5 years). Serve it alone as an apéritif or with goat cheese, seafood and fish. This wine is also delicious with creamy pasta dishes, a seafood or vegetable risotto, and veal.

About The Winery:

Domaine Bouchie-Chatellier is located in the appellation of Pouilly-Fumé, which sits on the opposite side of the Loire River from Sancerre. Only an hour and half by car from Paris, both Pouilly-Fumé and Sancerre are famous for crisp, dry white wines made from Sauvignon Blanc grapes, with Pouilly-Fumé having a reputation for producing slightly richer, more full-bodied wines than its neighbor. And despite the current rage for Sauvignon Blancs from New Zealand, the flinty, fruity and herbaceous wines from Pouilly-Fumé continue to set themselves apart.

I first had the opportunity to taste Domaine Bouchie-Chatellier at a wine fair hosted by La Revue du Vin de France each May in Paris’ historic Palais Brongniart (the old stock exchange building). The Domaine was represented by Arnaud Bouchie-Chatellier, a third-generation vinegrower and current director of his family’s domaine. The potent citrus and stone fruit flavors, gunflint notes, minerality and crisp acidity of the Domaine’s wines were striking. I had scheduled a tasting trip to Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé in the coming month, and I immediately added Domaine Bouchie-Chatellier to my list of wineries to visit.

The Domaine is located in the village of Saint-Andelain on a hill rising 900 feet overlooking the Loire River. Saint-Andelain is one of the seven villages that comprise Pouilly-Fumé AOC (not to be confused with the similarly-named Pouily-Fuissé AOC, which is located in Burgundy and produces whites made from the Chardonnay grape.) The Domaine has some of the best-situated vineyards in Pouilly-Fumé. Covering just over 29 acres with southern and western exposures, the vineyards share the same hillside as Didier Dagueneau’s famed estate (which many regard as producing some of the best Sauvignon Blancs in the world).

More than other white grape varietals, Sauvignon Blanc is influenced by the climate and soil where it is grown. Although it is situated relatively north, Pouilly-Fumé’s cool climate is moderated by the Loire River. The combined effect gives the wines balance and structure. The Domaine’s vineyards have the perfect amount of flint and clay, both of which are thought to help ripening (the flint absorbs heat and radiates it into the clay). The flint is also believed to influence the flavors and aromas of the wine, including, most notably, the classic gunflint aromas for which Pouilly-Fumé is famous. Fumé, in fact, translates as “smoked” and producers in this region frequently call the Sauvignon Blanc grape Blanc Fumé.

The Domaine uses traditional vine management and cultivating methods. Yields are kept low, and the use of pesticides is minimal. On average, the vine stocks are 30 years old and some are as old as 65 years. The grapes are harvested by hand, and vinification takes place in stainless steel vats with very light filtrations. The choice of stainless steel allows for the purest expression of the grape, while minimal filtrations leave more solid matter in the wine as it matures, which making the wine more complex. The end results are mouthwatering wines that combine crisp acidity with expressive fruit and smoky notes. They are great on their own or with food. Traditional pairings include goat cheese, seafood and fish. These wines are also delicious with creamy pasta dishes and risotto, veal and sushi.

We are currently selling two award-winning wines from Domaine Bouchie-Chatellier: “La Renardière” 2007 Pouilly-Fumé and “Premiere Millésimé” 2006 Pouilly-Fumé.

“La Renardière” 2007 won the Poully-Fumé Trophy at the prestigious International Wine Challenge 2008, London (chosen from among the gold-medal winning wines in the same competition), and a Bronze Medal at the IWSC (International Wine & Spirit Competition) 2008 London. “Premiere Millésimé” 2006 received a Silver Medal at the Challenge International du Vin 2008 (France’s largest international wine competition) and took second place in the France 2008 competition at Prowein 2008

Technical Analysis:

Vintage: 2007

Wine Type: White Wine

Varietal: Sauvignon Blanc

Alcohol: 12.5

Appellation: Pouilly Fumé