Pouilly-Fumé

The wine

On the right bank of the Loire, in the Nièvre, Pouilly-Fumé takes its name both from the grey bloom that covers its grapes and from the flinty 'smoked' notes that silex lends its wines. The appellation, granted AOC status by decree on July 31, 1937, stretches across some fourteen hundred hectares over seven villages and rests entirely on Sauvignon Blanc — known locally as 'blanc fumé' long before the variety swept the wider world. The geology is a playground of terroirs: Kimmeridgian marl, Oxfordian limestone, and the famous flints born of Cretaceous erosion, each leaving its own signature. Wines from limestone soils show bright nerve, threaded with blackcurrant and boxwood; those from clay-rich plots gain complexity over time. Served chilled at ten degrees, it shines alongside seafood, an andouillette à la ficelle, or an aged Crottin de Chavignol — its neighbour from the opposite bank and natural ally.