Biodynamic. Pabiot’s first single-terroir cuvée Pouilly-Fumé comes from mature vines in Tracy-sur-Loire on caillottes, a weathered limestone soil of Portlandian origin with many stones on the surface. Specifically, Aubaine is hand-harvested from one hectare of Les Champs de Cris, sited high above the river on a plateau, a vineyard Pabiot describes as a joy to work. The winemaking for both the Aubaine and the Prédilection is identical—the hand-harvested grapes were pressed, naturally fermented and raised in concrete for 18 months—so the difference comes down purely to the two terroirs.
Aubaine translates as ‘something to appreciate’, and although this cuvée is the marginally more approachable of the two single-vineyard wines we offer today, the 2019 is the most intense and voluminous vintage Pabiot has drawn from this terroir. Full and deep flavours of nashi pears and white stone fruits work alongside a pulpy and pithy mouthfeel, a little matchstick, driven acidity and a slight textural grip. It’s a wine of momentum, building to the back the palate with power and flavour. A hedonist’s Pouilly-Fumé, and a wine for food and great friends.