Marc Deschamps Vigne des Berge Pouilly-Fume 2012
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Robert
Parker
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The 2012 Pouilly-Fumé Vignes de Berges comes from a 3.5-hectare parcel with 30-year-old vines on kimmeridgian marne soils with a high proportion of stones known in the appellation as terres blanches. It produces the most earthy of the Pouilly-Fumés produced at the estate. Attractive clear, cool, fresh, and precise fruit flavors of elderflowers, nectarines, gooseberries, Kiwis and limes. This is very flinty and quite Riesling-like on the nose, but also on the palate where this severe Pouilly is intense, fresh, really piquant and almost austere in its naked minerality. This is a love-me-or-leave-me Sancerre with a very good length, a nice grip and a great aging potential. There were 3,000 bottles imported into the US.
The domaine consists of approximately 8.5 hectares of vineyards, all of which are located in the legendary sector of Les Loges just north of the village of Pouilly-sur-Loire and known as "the hamlet of the vignerons." Harvest is manual; the fermentation takes place in a mix of stainless steel and cement cuves. Only natural yeasts are used. The wines are left on the lees a considerable time. The malolactic fermentation rarely occurs. The wines are generally racked for the first time in January following the harvest. A light fining and filtration takes place prior to bottling which occurs in June for all wines except the "Les Champs de Cri" and the "Cuvé Vinéalis," both of which are bottled later (normally between July and September). These wines are classic examples of the appellation: rich, powerful, marked by an undercurrent of minerality and, above all, expressing the precision, elegance and exceptional length that makes the wines of the hamlet of Les Loges the envy of all the producers of Pouilly Fumé.
Capable of a vast array of styles, Sauvignon Blanc is a crisp, refreshing variety that equally reflects both terroir and varietal character. Though it can vary depending on where it is grown, a couple of commonalities always exist—namely, zesty acidity and intense aromatics. This variety is of French provenance. Somm Secret—Along with Cabernet Franc, Sauvignon Blanc is a proud parent of Cabernet Sauvignon. That green bell pepper aroma that all three varieties share is no coincidence—it comes from a high concentration of pyrazines (herbaceous aromatic compounds) inherent to each member of the family.
Famous in the Loire and throughout the world for perfumed Sauvignon blanc, Pouilly-Fume sits due east, across the Loire River from Sancerre. Limestone soils with clay and flint (also called silex) contribute to the wines' freshness and often times smoky, flinty, mineral character.