2022 Masson-Blondelet Pouilly-Fumé "Villa Paulus", Loire Valley, France

ABOUT THIS WINE

“Villa Paulus” is a cuvée of 100% Sauvignon Blanc, sourced from flint-rich (silex) soils in the heart of Pouilly-Fumé, one of the Loire Valley’s most prized Sauvignon Blanc appellations. These soils are known for imparting the hallmark pierre à fusil (gunflint) minerality that defines the region’s wines. The 2022 vintage offered excellent conditions—warm but not extreme, with sufficient rain to preserve freshness and phenolic balance.

Grapes are hand-harvested and vinified parcel-by-parcel. Fermentation is carried out with native yeasts in temperature-controlled stainless steel to preserve aromatic purity and terroir expression. The wine is aged on fine lees for several months without oak, enhancing mouthfeel while retaining a laser-like focus and purity.

“Villa Paulus” is a true terroir wine—racy and refined, making it an excellent match for oysters, chèvre, sashimi, asparagus, or delicate white fish in beurre blanc.

ABOUT THIS PRODUCER

Masson-Blondelet is a highly regarded family estate based in the village of Pouilly-sur-Loire, now run by the 7th generation, Mélanie and Pierre Masson. The domaine is committed to sustainable, organic, and no-herbicide farming across their three distinct terroirs: Kimmeridgian marl, limestone-clay, and silex. Each is vinified separately to highlight its individual character.

Their winemaking philosophy is grounded in purity, precision, and transparency—using only indigenous yeasts, avoiding oak in their whites, and emphasizing the connection between soil and varietal. The “Villa Paulus” cuvée, named in homage to their ancestors, is their expression of the silex-rich parcels, known for delivering the most mineral and age-worthy wines of the estate.