Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1011938
{ SOMMjournal.com } 49 Tasting the 2017 Vintage A complicated and early vintage in the Loire, the 2017 har vest began in early September and saw a 50 percent de - crease in Pouilly-Fumé production over 2016; Sancerre, meanwhile, was down 20 percent from the previous year. The har vest showed promise despite a heat wave in June, and on a positive note, the vintage displays fine acidity and gener - ous fruit despite quantity being lower than expected. Here are our top picks after tasting through the line: Domaine Pascal Jolivet 2017 Sancerre ($29) is sourced from three vineyards in the heart of the appellation with altitudes between 650–1,300 feet above sea level. The Les Caillottes vineyard proffers chalky soils; the Les Terres Blanches vineyard is a hilly site with compact chalk atop marl; and the Silex is punctuated with limestone and flint. The resulting acidity is cut like glass with notes of grass and lime wedge. 93 Domaine Pascal Jolivet 2017 Sancerre Rosé ($23) offers a sensationally clean nose and silky mouthfeel. Underlying notes of rhubarb, watermelon, and a hint of tarragon make this 100 per - cent Pinot Noir a standout. It's fermented in stainless steel. 92 Domaine Pascal Jolivet 2017 Pouilly- Fumé ($30) is sourced from 20 acres in three separate vineyards owned by Jolivet. The soils range from glacial to calcareous to clay-siliceous. Flinty and lean, white flow- ers surge with a chalky mouthfeel. Powdered lemon is on the nose and palate, engineering the acidity to high definition. 93 Domaine Pascal Jolivet 2017 Pouilly-Fumé Les Terres Blanches ($41) is from a clay- and limestone-based single vineyard owned by Jolivet and located on the northeast side of the appellation. White chocolate and orange blossom present as the key perfumes on the nose and palate as searing acidity mod - erates the rich mouthfeel. Just-ripened pineapple, grass, and herbs are complex and make for a palate-refreshing white. 96 Domaine Pascal Jolivet 2017 Les Caillottes ($41) is achingly lean with a chalky mouthfeel and rigid acidity. However, any tenseness found from the minerals and acid is abated through a mid-palate of pears, peach, and apricot with a hint of anise. It's energetic with immense ageworthy abilities. 96 Domaine Pascal Jolivet 2017 Sancerre Le Chêne Marchand ($46) reflects the beauty of the due-south exposure site where its Sauvignon Blanc grapes are grown. Serious yet willowy, this powerful expression remains refined with notes of orange peel, matcha green tea, and grapefruit arise. Wet stone attaches to the palate and zings on the finish. 97 Jolivet established the winery in 1987 in the Loire Valley, where the domaine owns more than 120 acres of prime vineyards spread across the appellations of Sancerre and Pouil - ly-Fumé. According to Jolivet, Buoso's exten- sive knowledge of indigenous yeasts heightens the fruit character, elegance, and precision of the wines. "Valentina is a perfectionist and focuses on the quality of the juices coming from the organic grapes of our vineyards," says Jolivet, who practices Biodynamic winemaking. "As a result, the wines are fruit-focused, which perfectly integrates with the natural acidity and the magic of nature I am trying to grab when making the wines." Valentina Buoso serves as the Winemaker for Domaine Pascal Jolivet. With a bach- elor's degree in viticulture and enology, she wrote a thesis on the molecular characterization of wild yeast: a topic close to Jolivet's heart. The challenging 2017 vintage proved a stunner for Domaine Pascal Jolivet: elegant white wines with roundness attached to fresh acidity and reds with lovely blue-floral and red-fruit tones. "We like to make wine with the aim to allow the terroir to express itself."