WINE:Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé are hard to differentiate by taste, but one is easier to order, writes John Wilson.
PRONOUNCEABILITY IS AN important asset in a wine. I have never met the producer of Schlossböckelheimer Felsenberg Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese Weingut Hermann Dönnhoff, but I cannot imagine that his (delicious) wine is an easy sell on the Irish market.
For most retailers and restaurants, Sancerre tends to outsell its near neighbour Pouilly-Fumé (made in the town of Pouilly-sur-Loire) by some distance. Size may play a part, Sancerre having more than twice the vineyard area, but I reckon the Irish tongue finds it much more difficult to say Pouilly than Sançerre. My father, a French teacher, advised me to pronounce a double "l" as a "y".
The two districts lie a few kilometres apart, separated by the Loire river. Both grow Sauvignon Blanc almost exclusively. In my experience, it is rarely possible to distinguish between the two wines. Winemaking techniques and soil can be the defining elements. As with most French regions, you will find the good, the bad and the downright ugly all sheltering under the same name. Price can be a good, but not infallible, indicator.
The lesser versions will hopefully have pleasant plump green fruits, and a dryish finish. The very best are a very different animal altogether, for my money the ultimate expression of Sauvignon Blanc. They range in style from aromatic and perfumed, not unlike a Marlborough Sauvignon, to firm, crisp and mineral. I prefer the latter.
Soil does make a big difference, as does the kind of yeast used in fermentation. Wine from the richer clay soils tend to be fuller in body, those from stony soils lighter and finer. The best soils in both regions are based on Kimmeridgian limestone, similar to that which you find in Chablis. Those that also contain flint are said to add a whiff of gunsmoke to the wine.
Good Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé are wonderful wines, with refreshing lifted aromas, vivid clean lean green fruits, finishing bone dry. They are brisk and lively, with plenty of acidity. With one or two exceptions, they should be drunk young, within the first few years of life. They will happily see service as an aperitif or sipping wine, although the high acidity may upset more sensitive stomachs.
However, as with most French wine, they are best drunk with food. The local favourite is goats' cheese, especially Crottin de Chavignol, from the local village of the same name. Sauvignon does provide a nice match, so long as the cheese is not too stinky. But try it with baked goats' cheese, salads and tartlets, as well as seafood, including sushi and ceviche. Around this time of year, some recommend serving it with asparagus.
I blind-tasted some 15 different Sancerres and Pouilly-Fumés, including samples from most of the leading supermarkets. The overall standard was very good, with no really bad wines, and a few stars. Overall, those from the 2006 vintage showed much better than those from 2005, or in one case, 2003. The 2005 was a good year, but the wines can be a little too fat and rich, whereas the 2006s all have a hallmark crisp acidity to match the ripe fruit.
There were a few notable producers I was not able to include in my tasting. The wines of Didier Dageneau, often listed as one of France's greatest winemakers, are not currently imported into this country. If you do come across an older bottle, it is well worth buying, particularly his "Silex", named after the flint soils from which it comes. Another name to look out for is Henri Bourgeois. He makes a wide variety of wines, some outstanding, available at O'Briens and Oddbins.
Lastly, bargain-hunters will look to Côteaux du Giennois, an area to the north of Pouilly-Fumé. Currently lesser-known, and therefore less expensive too, the Sauvignon-based wines can be better than many a cheap Sancerre.
BOTTLES OF THE WEEK
Sancerre Pascal & Nicolas Reverdy Terre de Maimbray 2006, 13.5% (€18.99) - Delicious, almost exotic style with plenty of ripe fruits, backed up by lemon sherbet and grapefruit. You could try this on its own, with tomato-based salads or maybe fishcakes. Stockists: On The Grapevine, Dalkey and Booterstown; Cabot and Co, Westport; Jus de Vine, Portmarnock; World Wide Wines, Waterford; Poppy Seed, Clarinbridge.
Sancerre 2006 Domaine André Dezat, 12.5% (€21.99) -A slightly rounder style with nice ripe fruits on a medium-bodied centre- palate, but with plenty of citrus zest too. Drink solo, or with fresh goat's cheese salad or maybe a plate of prawns. Stockists: DSix, Harold's Cross; Harvey Nichols, Dundrum; Corkscrew, Chatham Street, and www.jnwine.com.
Sancerre 2006 Domaine Brochard, 13% (€18.99) - A very fine style which opens out beautifully; aromatic with zesty, mouth- watering grapefruit. Drink as an aperitif or with crab salad. Stockists: Marks & Spencer.
Pouilly-Fumé, Domaine Masson-Blondelet Villa Paulus 2006, 13.5% (€18.45) -An excellent, vibrant crisp dry wine, with precise, bracing minerals, and taut, lean green fruits. Drink with seafood. Stockists: Wines Direct, www.winesdirect.ie, 1890-579579.
TWO UNDER A TENNER
La Sabrosita 2006, Old Vine Garnacha, Calatayud, Spain, 14.5%, €7.99 -Calatayud, near the city of Zaragoza in Spain, makes some delicious warming chunky ripe reds, perfect for everyday drinking with most red and white meats, stews in particular. Go-go juice for a wet Wednesday. Stockists: Marks & Spencer
Tramoya 2006 Rueda Verdejo, Spain, 13%, €7.99 -It almost tastes like Sauvignon, but Verdejo is a local grape variety from Rueda in north-central Spain. The high altitude, and cool nights make for some lovely aromatic whites. The Tramoya has plenty of zesty citrus to balance out the fresh rich tropical fruits. Drink on its own or with seafood and salads. Stockists: Dunnes Stores