Pascal Jolivet was founded in 1987 and is one of the most dynamic domaines in France’s Loire Valley. Based in Sancerre, the domaine now owns 120 hectares of vineyards spread across the appellations of Sancerre and Pouilly Fumé. Pascal shares his philosophy with winemaker, Valentina Buoso: to work in harmony with nature to produce wines with purity of fruit, a linear character and minerality, allowing a natural expression of the vineyard to give the wines a sense of place.
The grapes are sourced from the different soils of the maison. The resulting wine is a blend of grapes grown 50% on limestone, 30% on flint and 20% on clay-limestone. The vineyards are located in the villages Tracy sur Loire and Boisgibault.
The grapes are sorted upon receipt at the winery, where the team work by gravity in order to be as respectful as possible of the natural cycle of vinification. Pascal lightly presses the grapes and only keep the first part of the juice – the purest, most precise and full of flavour.
The musts are then cold settled without the use of enzymes. Each batch from the different terroirs is vinified separately in temperature-controlled stainless steel vats (with natural yeast). The wine is then blended and slightly filtered. It is then aged a
further 7 months before bottling.
The 2021 vintage was a challenging one, with lower yields across the region. Sauvignon Blanc’s crop was smaller than then previous vintages but the fruit was of great quality. 2021 saw a return to a more typical Loire profile with fresh, crunchy fruit and delicate aromatic profile.
A great example of the unique style of the maison.
The Blanc Fumé is a perfectly balanced wine: complex, powerful, with great length and body. A dry, chiselled palate frames defined, structured aromas of ripe white fruit, ripe citrus, citrus flowers and a marked smokiness.
A wine ideal to accompany sushi, grilled fish and
chicken.
Serve at 10°C.
Pouilly-Fumé AOC, Loire
100% Sauvignon Blanc
Cork
