Sancerre and Pouilly Fumé, France

Domaine Masson-Blondelet

Pouilly-sur-Loire is located in the centre of France, on the Loire river, 200 km to the south of Paris. Michelle & Jean-Michel Masson created DOMAINE MASSON-BLONDELET in 1975, being the sixth generation of wine producers in the family.

In 1980, they built a cellar dug underground with 3 levels to work by gravity. The estate is now 21 AOC hectares (17 in Pouilly Fume and 4 in Sancerre) of Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir. The vineyards which are on South /East facing slopes enjoy a micro-climate influenced by the Loire river which protects them from the extreme variations in temperature.

There are 3 different soils on the AOC Pouilly-Fumé area: Kimmeridgian marls, Limestone and Flint (silex). The vines are planted on these 3 different soils and vinified separately to get the best expression of each soil and terroir.

In the cellar, the philosophy is to prefer physical treatments in order to banish the chemical ones (even the softest) and to limit the use of SO2. That is why they work with three main principles: The use of gravity, the use of cold settling, and the preservation of the natural CO2 of fermentation.

Masson Blondelet has not been using any chemical fertilizer for more than 40 years; they strongly believe that soil is the foundation of the terroir which is a priceless heritage that must be protected.