2022 Domaine Raimbault-Pineau Pouilly-Fume Loire

Floating high over the Loire River in our bright orange balloon, we were primed for a relaxing morning… but Sonia Raimbault had other ideas.

It was barely after dawn but she was as animated as ever, pointing out the Sancerre plots that produce some of our members’ favorite wines. We, having gone maybe a bit too hard the night before, were a touch groggy—until something she said snapped us to attention. Gesturing across the river, she said, “And of course, over there is Pouilly-Fumé.”

You don’t really appreciate how close Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé are until you have a bird’s-eye view. Barely six miles separate the towns of Sancerre and Pouilly-sur-Loire, yet Sancerre basks in international glory while Pouilly-Fumé still remains an insider secret.

Pouilly-Fumé creates what The Wall Street Journal called the “French Sauvignon Blanc we should be drinking more often”—and this bottle from the Raimbaults fully ratifies that assessment. Flinty and bright, with an exotic nose and seductive richness married to captivating zest on the finish, it absolutely blows away most Sancerre at its price.

Domaine Raimbault-Pineau goes back 13 generations in the Loire. That’s 400 years of accumulated winemaking expertise in farming Sauvignon Blanc. All that know-how was put to good use in 2022, a vintage that produced brilliant wines with extra depth and concentration.

Following a frost-free spring, vines basked in abundant sunshine through a scorching summer that tested even the region’s most seasoned vignerons. The region’s distinctive soils proved their worth, acting as crucial moisture reserves as daytime temperatures soared to record heights. September’s perfectly timed rains delivered sweet relief, allowing this Sauvignon Blanc to achieve an exquisite tension between ripeness and minerality.

• Fruit Intensity
• Oak Intensity
• Body
• Sweetness
• Acidity

• ABV 14.00%
• Enjoy right away
• Now – 2028
• 100% Sauvignon Blanc
• Serving temperature – 48°
• Cork