Pouilly-Fume 'Les Calcis', Domaine Tabordet

Tasting Note

A barrel-fermented Pouilly Fumé with good fruit concentration, characteristic flinty notes and a subtle touch of vanilla. The textured palate is beautifully balanced and has a lovely mineral freshness on the long, persistent finish.

Producer Note

Run by Pascal and Marie-Laure together with their son Marius, Domaine Tabordet is a 19 hectare estate, including five hectares in Sancerre and 14 in Pouilly-Fumé. The domain is very much a family business, run in a traditional spirit, but using the latest winemaking technology. The vineyards are managed with the utmost respect for the sustainability and biodiversity. The resulting wines are a true reflection of the diverse terroirs which make up their estate showing characteristic flinty flavours, with good weight and a full body.

Vintage

The winter was mild, with cold spells in January. Spring was marked by frost, which affected some vines. The summer warmed up and flowering took place under good weather conditions. The summer remained warm and was very dry; as a result the vines stared to get depleted of water. Thankfully a significant storm took place at the end of July, bringing beneficial rainwater. Harvest took place early, starting on 18th September, with grapes having reached good maturity levels and excellent quality.

Vineyard

The vineyard is situated in the heart of the Pouilly Fumé appellation on the right bank of the Loire River. The vines are trained according to the Guyot method. The vineyard is carefully cultivated throughout the year with debudding of the vines, tilling of the soil to reduce the need for herbicides; and certain parcels are left with grass cover to limit the vigour of the vines. Canopy management such as de-leafing takes place at the end of June. The soil in the vineyard is made up of Kimmeridgian marl, which is a chalky clay; 'Caillottes' a local chalky limestone and ‘Silex’ a clay with flint throughout. These soils impart the distinctive mineral and flinty characteristics to the wine. The harvest takes place between mid-September and mid-October when the grapes have reached optimal maturity.

Winemaking

The wine was made with as little intervention as possible, in order to express the characteristics of the grapes and the terroir. The grapes were carefully selected and gently pressed to avoid crushing. The must was transported by gravity into vats, where it was cooled to 10°C and clarified. Fermentation took place in old 600 litre barriques of two to five years. Once fermentation was complete, the wine was aged in the barriques for 10 to 12 months, imparting subtle oak characteristics and structure. The wine was gently filtered prior to being bottled.

Serving Suggestion

Perfect with indulgent fish dishes or goat’s cheese.

Grape

Sauvignon Blanc 100%