Pouilly Fume 'Les Champlins' 2006

So Mark Cavendish has gone home to rest up ahead of the Olympics, but the Tour goes on, and the new format seems to be keeping things interesting. Today's winner was Cyril Dessel, a French AG2R rider. He used to race for Jelly Belly - I could ride for them.

Time for a French wine. We had a Pouilly Fume 'Les Champlins' 2006. I've cycled through Pouilly sur Loire, it's pretty flat, not like today's stage. 2006 was wet. Very wet. You can just see my panniers wearing their little raincoats outside the Chateau in the centre of town.

The 'Les Champlins' is pretty good despite the rain. It's steely in that mineral way that the Loire has perfected, with some lemon and lime balanced by a weird but good honeyed apricot kinda thing going on. At 12% alcohol it's easy drinking stuff. At about £7.50 it's a reasonable price for this appellation.

Pouilly-sur-Loire

Pouilly-Fume was the first wine that got me interested in where wines came from. I knew I liked Sauvignon Blanc, but this was weird and wonderful, and I was told it was because of the soil it grew in. That first bottle has a lot to answer for.

So now I’ve seen the soil, felt the stones and climbed the hills. I’ve even seen the iconic Chateau of the region, one that Joan of Arc stayed in, and no doubt had a glass of wine at.

I have a Pouilly-Fumé "Les Ferrés" 2005, Marcel Sautejeau. It’s a bright pale lemon and crystal clear. It has a full aroma with gooseberries and blossom, and something just a little greengage like.

It’s bone dry and crisply acidic, feeling really refreshing in the mouth. The minerality of the acidity makes it wonderfully drinkable, with the gooseberry fruit and slightly under-ripe apple flavours making it more-ish.

This is well made wine from a good year, and I’d expect to pay a lot more than the £6 that Majestic are currently selling it for, so I’ll buy a few more, but I suspect it won’t last til Christmas so I’ll have to keep drinking.

It comes in at 12.5% alcohol and is perfect pre-dinner or with shellfish. I had some Pouilly Fume in Pouilly with Crotins de Chavignol, the local goat cheese, and felt actual angels dancing on my tastebuds. I had been cycling in the sun for a while though.


Kiwi Cuvee Sauvignon Blanc
Vina Maipo Reserve Sauvignon Blanc
Reuilly "Les Bouchauds" Sauvignon Blanc
Pouilly-Fumé "Les Ferrés"
Sainsbury's Premiere Sauvignon de Touraine
Concha y Toro Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc
Montana Sauvignon Blanc 2005