Why it matters
The producer
Annick Tinel-Blondelet took over the domaine from her parents in 1983. The family lineage reaches to Guillaume Blondelet, a vigneron in Chaulgnes at the end of the sixteenth century, and on the maternal line to Louis Figeat in the 1650s.
Annick combines modern techniques, including a pneumatic press and temperature regulation, with traditional vinification methods. The combination gives the wines richness and aromatic complexity.
Place and vineyards
Where the wines begin
The domaine holds 9.5 hectares in Pouilly-Fumé on limestone soils and Kimmeridgian marls containing oyster shell fossils. It also holds 0.5 hectares in Pouilly-sur-Loire and 4 hectares in Sancerre, in the Les Blancs Gateaux parcel on limestone and siliceous soils.
A wine appellation names a place of origin on the label. Here, Pouilly-Fumé, Pouilly-sur-Loire and Sancerre distinguish three Loire addresses within the domaine's holdings.
Wines to know
The range in view
The range is organised across Pouilly-Fumé, Pouilly-sur-Loire and Sancerre, with Arrêt-Buffatte as the named Pouilly-Fumé bottle. Arrêt-Buffatte is 100% Sauvignon Blanc from vines that are 45 years old, grown on Kimmeridgian marls in a geological amphitheatre at the slope's summit overlooking the Loire River. The parcel has one of the best exposures at Pouilly.
Traditional vinification takes place in stainless steel tanks with temperature regulation. Arrêt-Buffatte has great aging potential.