2021 Pascal Jolivet Pouilly-Fume, Loire Valley

Grapefruit, lemon juice, pure and crisp with wonderful lightness of touch. There's steely, slaty complexity on the palate too. Long, lingering citric finish. 

Richard Hemming MW jancisrobinson.com

Pascal Jolivet Pouilly Fumé is a pure, incisive expression of Sauvignon Blanc that captures the flinty, mineral driven character of the Loire Valley at its best. Sourced from vineyards around Pouilly sur Loire, the wine draws its identity from the region’s famous silex soils, flint rich ground that gives Pouilly Fumé its signature smoky, gunflint edge. The cool continental climate allows Sauvignon Blanc to ripen slowly, building flavour while retaining crisp acidity and precision.

Pascal Jolivet is one of the Loire’s most respected modern producers, known for his natural approach and belief in transparency. He works with indigenous yeasts, minimal intervention and a strong focus on vineyard expression. For Pouilly Fumé, the aim is clarity rather than winemaking imprint, letting soil and site shape the wine’s structure and aromatics.

In the glass, the wine is lifted and refined. Lemon zest, lime and green apple lead, followed by white peach, fresh herbs and that unmistakable flinty, smoky note that gives the appellation its name. There is a quiet intensity rather than overt pungency, everything feeling tightly coiled and focused.

On the palate, Pascal Jolivet Pouilly Fumé is dry, crisp and beautifully linear. Bright citrus and orchard fruit flavours are driven by precise acidity and a strong mineral core. The texture is clean and taut, finishing long and mouthwatering with lingering citrus peel, wet stone and a subtle smoky nuance.

This is a Sauvignon Blanc made for food. It pairs beautifully with oysters, shellfish, goat’s cheese, grilled fish or vegetable dishes where freshness and minerality shine. Drinking perfectly now for its vibrancy and clarity, it will also develop further complexity over three to five years.

Pascal Jolivet Pouilly Fumé is elegant, mineral and confidently understated. A benchmark Loire Sauvignon Blanc that delivers finesse, tension and unmistakable sense of place.