2022 Domaine Tabordet "L'Autre Rive" Pouilly Fumé

Staff Reviews

KM

Keith Mabry

Keith Mabry

K&L Buyer

Review Date: 08/2025

From silex soils (aka flint), this has the hallmarks of that classic style. A touch or reduction gives you a taste of that gun flint on the nose but the palate is open and generous. Mineral, lemon zest, touch of verbena, this is inviting. This continues to open and unfold for hours. A real treat!

JM

John Majeski

John Majeski

Review Date: 04/2026

A personal favorite, the 2022 Domaine Tabordet “L’Autre Rive” Pouilly-Fumé $24.99 is, like all the domaine wines, organically and biodynamically cultivated and harvested at the peak of ripeness. Following indigenous yeast fermentation, it is aged, unlike the regular domaine, for 10-12 months in older oak barrels before bottling. I found the harmonious flavors showcased the leesy richness, lemon verbena and flinty stone imprint of the region. A compelling wine that would covet a welcoming dish of grilled scallops.

Notes

Nestled in the village of Verdigny, Domaine Tabordet was run by brothers Yvon and Pascal Tabordet, who took the reins back in 1981. Yvon's son Marius and Pascal's son Gael have since joined the estate and now run the operation. With five hectares in Sancerre. and 16 in Pouilly-Fumé they work organically and biodynamically across the varied soils of both regions creating some of the best under the radar wines in the Central Loire. Wine growing in Pouilly-Fumé dates back to the fifth century when the Romans dominated the area. In 1937 it became an official Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée (AOC) of France. Wine called Pouilly-Fumé is required to be 100% Sauvignon Blanc. The soils here have a similar character to those of Sancerre, but one of the defining characteristics of Pouilly-Fumé wines is the smoky, flinty aromas (fumé). These aromas come from the high concentration of silex, a.k.a. flint, found in the soil here. By taking a very simple but well-focused approach to farming and vinification, Domaine Tabordet does a really fantastic job of letting the grape and all of its character shine through. The "Autre Rive" cuvée is all from silex soils showing that beautiful smoky minerality. It is fermented with native yeasts and aged all in stainless steel tank.