Domaine du Bouchot

There was a time when one was taught that the easiest way to tell the difference between Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé was that the wines on the east bank of the Loire had an unmistakable gun-flint aroma. I’m uncertain if this old adage is still trotted out, but I was skeptical the first time I heard it as I compared wines from the two appellations side-by-side. In the thirty-odd years since, I’ve learned that both terroir and winemaking can leave an impression on a wine, and I wonder if gun-flint was, more often than not, due to abundant yields and the unjudicious use of SO2. So, apart from the wines of a certain iconic estate that feels more superlative than typical and the equally atypical naturalistas that have dabbled in the terroirs of Pouilly, I’ve kept my reservations about Pouilly to myself and enjoyed terroir-driven Sauvignon Blanc from elsewhere.

I gingerly danced around my prejudices when I spoke with Antoine Gouffier of Domaine du Bouchot in July of 2025. I had already tasted through his wines, and I sensed that we might share similar thoughts about the state of affairs in Pouilly. Still, it is bad form to start an acquaintance by telling someone that their appellation is disappointing. A few oblique references to the subject, and we were off to the races with Anotine filling me in on the recent history of Pouilly-Fumé and why it finds itself playing second fiddle to Big Sancerre™.

At one point, Pouilly was the more commercially successful mid-Loire Sauvignon Blanc, as the railroad made transport to Paris and beyond far easier than for Sancerre. As odd as it may sound, the short distance between Sancerre and the railroad line that ran along the Loire’s eastern bank was just enough of an impediment. Over time, increasing demand for Pouilly-Fumé required the expansion of vineyards and yields, but the acreage of great terroirs in Pouilly is far smaller than in Sancerre. By the time the A77 was constructed, Pouilly had a defined style and market. The inwardly focused and conservative winemakers in Pouilly, many of whom also grew various other crops, were not prepared for competition across the river. While Sancerre innovated and top producers explored terroir and vineyard-specific wines, Pouilly carried on being Pouilly. Being native to the appellation but having experienced making Sauvignon Blanc abroad, Antoine has the passion of someone born again and the sort of maverick attitude that makes him stand out among his peers.

Domaine du Bouchot was founded in 1985 by Rachel and Pascal Kerbiquet. Starting with two hectares of vines planted on Kimmeridgian marl by 1995, they expanded their holdings with two additional hectares of Sauvignon Blanc on Portlandian limestone while converting all their vineyards to organic farming. By 2008, they worked all their vines biodynamically and utilized indigenous yeasts for spontaneous fermentations. When Antoine Gouffier returned home from abroad, he soon took over the day-to-day management of Domaine du Bouchot, purchased the estate in 2019, and achieved organic and biodynamic certification in 2020. Under Antoine, the estate spans 10 hectares of vines planted to Sauvignon Blanc with a little Chasselas in the village of Saint-Andelain.

Antoine has carried on the tradition of terroir-specific wines, and despite being certified biodynamic since 2020, he continues to experiment with ways to work the soil and farm the vines to bring them into balance with each vintage. The goal is as much the health of the soils and vines, with the belief that honest and expressive wines will follow. Herbal treatments are made to vines and sections of his vineyards as needed, and the harvest date is chosen by soil type and when the grapes, when tasted, lose their overt varietal flavors while retaining a crunch when bitten into. Everything is harvested by hand, and to prevent the dilution of the character of his vineyards and vintage, fermentations are spontaneous, and nothing is added or taken away. Fermentations start in stainless steel tanks with a tiny portion in French oak.

When Jon-David Headrick introduced Domaine du Bouchot to us at European Cellars, he remarked, “I’ve waited patiently for twenty years to find the right Pouilly-Fumé.” After tasting, we agreed and suspect you might as well.