Pouilly Fumé Terres Blanches, Jolivet

Pouilly-Fumé, from the Kimmeridgian marl, is the place to go for Sauvignon Blanc that reveals more than just gooseberry and grass. The Terres Blanches stand for depth, salinity, and a precision that is immediately apparent in the glass.

Pascal Jolivet is one of the most trusted names in the Loire Valley. His winery in Sancerre has been working for decades with both its own vineyards and select parcels in Pouilly-sur-Loire. The Terres Blanches —literally "white soils"—refer to the light clay-limestone marl that gives the Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé appellations their characteristic minerality. Jolivet vinifies this cuvée in stainless steel tanks to preserve the purity of the terroir.

A bright straw yellow in the glass. The nose offers citrus peel, white peach, and a distinct flinty note—the classic Fumé profile. On the palate, firm acidity with a pleasant smoothness, medium body, and a salty-mineral finish with a pleasing length.

• Food: Goat cheese (Crottin de Chavignol), grilled sea bass, scallops with butter, asparagus
• Temperature: 10–12 °C
• Drinking window: now until 2027