Flint stone wines: Arnaud Bouchié and his 3 Pouilly-Fumé wines

Along the right side of the Loire river you can find their vineyards mostly in peculiar south and south-west direction. The chalky fire stone soil of the AOC Pouilly-Fumé give the wines a more full-bodied fruit and spice than those of its neighboring area Sancerre on the left side of the Loire river. The taste of the Pouilly-Fumé Sauvignon Blancs cannot be compared to any other with their citrus and fruit aromas, their smoky aftertaste and mineral acidity.

It is in the heights of Saint-Andelain and down to Pouilly-sur-Loire that the Domaine La Renardière has its 23-hectare vineyards located on the best silex grounds (also called flint or flintstone soil). In 1939, the great-grandfather of the current owner Arnaud  Bouchié planted his first Sauvignon Blanc vines into gravel on his parcels in the forrest, which made him one of the pioneers of the Pouilly Fume area.

His great-grandson, Arnaud Bouchié has exactly the same sense for quality today. He is continuing his great-grandfathers excellent Sauvignon Blanc tradition and has been producing three particularly impressive Pouilly-Fumé wines: the classic  „La Renardière“, „Argile à S“ and not to mention the Cru of the estade, namely the „Premier Millèssime“.

Besides Didier Dagueneau, who owns vineyards next to those of La Renardière and who can definitely be considered one of the best Sauvignons Blanc-producers int he world, Arnaud Bouchié has been able to keep up with his success. Not only does Aurnaud have plenty of vineyards but his Pouilly-Fumé quickly outperformed the past few vintages and have attracted a lot of attention among wine experts in the past few years. His wines are marked by a crisp acidity, combined with a very bold fruit and the typically smoky aftertaste.

"Our soil is the perfect combination of flintstone and clay. The firestone does not only warm up our limestone but also brings us his wonderful scent and aromas that make the Pouilly-Fumé wines so popular“, explains Arnaud Bouchié. This is why his wine has been referred to as „Blanc-Fumé“ among other wine producers.

"La Renardière" - Typical Fumé Blanc wine with yellow fruit aromas and smoky notes. Fresh and fruity on the palate with balanced structure and long finish. Can be stored up to five years. (Photo: YOOPRESS)

"Argile à S" - A limited edition - fresh, fruity blend of the best grapes of several parcels. The calcareous soils give this blend its finesse, complexity and elegance - "a more feminine style" (photo: YOOPRESS)

The Silex-soil (also named flint or flint-called soil) mixed with limestone and clay give the Sauvignon Blanc (Fumé Blanc) so typical smoky notes and subtle minerality (Photo: La Renardière)

"Première Miléssimé" - The Grand Cru from Domaine La Renardière from 100 percent Sauvignon Blanc, is clean balanced with crisp acidity through to a rich finesse finale - simply delicious (photo: YOOPRESS)

Arnaud Bouchié makes sure that his Grande Cuvée Premier Millésimé, which is a very thorough selection of the most golden grapes, are strictly picked by hand and then transported to the cellar by the gravitation principle in order to not harm any of the Sauvignon Blanc aromas. Afterwards, wine production continues in stainless steel tanks. "Using stainless steel tanks helps us maintain the character of our Sauvignon Blanc grape and minimal filtration leaves more material in the wine, which lets it mature more easily and make it more complex", says Arnaud Bouchié.

Arnaud Bouchié Pouilly Fumés would go great with the following: fish (Atlantic salmon or scallops) sea fruit, veal (particularly Saltimbocca alla Romana), creamy Risotto, pasta, goat cheese and also very well with Chinese food and sushi.  Arnaud"s Sauvignon Blanc are also perfect for spicy meals due to their balancing effect. But even without any food, „La Renardière“, „Argile à S“ and „Premier Millèssime“ are simply delicious. (a.wirtzfeld)