Domaine les Ormousseaux Pouilly Fumé 2021
Aromas of grapefruit, white blossom, and flint lead to a palate full of minerality and tension. Crisp and long, with a touch of characteristic smokiness on the finish.
The Pouilly Fumé vineyard is located in Tracy-sur-Loire, next to the River Loire, opposite Sancerre. The two estate parcels, Les Froids and Le champ de l'Abreu, are planted in the old flint quarry, from where they had previously extracted around 1,000 tonnes of Silex. The sandy soils are dominated by flint, these soils offer little vigour, instead, the vines produce small, compact bunches and tiny berries of concentrated juice that reflects the terroir. The vines of Les Froids are south facing and Le Champ l'Abreu are south-west facing, both optimise exposure to the sun, allowing the grapes to ripen and avoid excessive green notes. The proximity of the River Loire helps to moderate temperatures. The vines are trained according to the Guyot-Poussard method which respects the sap flow, regulating the production of grapes and growth of the vine. The estate is run as sustainably as possible; harmful chemicals such as pesticides or herbicides are not employed, instead the soils are managed through mechanical tilling. The grapes are harvested by machine, in the early hours of the morning to keep the grapes cool and retain freshness.
The grapes were gently pressed to retain acidity and avoid harsh tannins extracted from the skins. Only the heart of the juice was fermented, spontaneously with natural yeasts, if the vintage permits. Fermentation took place in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks, with 62% in stainless steel and 30% in a 600-litre French oak barrel, and 8% in a ‘Wineglobe’, a glass fermentation vessel, which produces wines where the fruit comes to the fore. The wines were kept on the fermentation lees for a few weeks, after which they were aged on the fine lees (without stirring) in the same ratio of vessels as used for fermentation, for 12 months.
| Vintage | 2021 |
| Alcoholic strength | 12% |
| Country | France |
| Region | Loire |
| Subregion | Pouilly-Fumé |
| Grapes | Sauvignon Blanc 100% |
| Residual sugar (g/l) | 0.5 |
| Dry/Sweet value | 1 |
| Contains sulphites | Yes |
| Vegetarian | Yes |
| Vegan | Yes |
| Milk | No |
| Eggs | No |
| Organic | In Conversion |
| Biodynamic | No |
| Closure | Cork |
Domaine les Ormousseaux is in the little village of Saint-Pére in the South of the Coteaux du Giennois appellation. The domain covers 14,3 hectares in Coteaux du Giennois and 13,89 hectares in Pouilly Fumé. Clément Jolivet, born locally in Cosne-sur-Loire, officially took over the historical estate in April 2021 and renamed it, inspired by the eponymous lieu-dit. Clément comes from a long line of family involved in wine in the Sancerre and Pouilly Fumé appellations. He brought with him a natural change in the approach to viticulture and farming. Using sustainable practices and an organic approach, the estate has been certified organic from the 2024 vintage. When he arrived, nearly 50% of the vines were missing in the vineyards, so he set about carefully replanting the missing ones. His studies took him to 26 wine growing countries, including South Africa where he worked for the historical Klein Constantia. It was in South Africa where he met winemaker of Cape Point Vineyards, Riandri Visser. Riandri brings 10 years of experience in making Sauvignon Blanc. This dynamic duo forms the core of the Domaine les Ormousseaux, and their wines show wonderful purity and typicity.
