Nicolas Gaudry, Pouilly-Fumé, 'Les Champs de Cris'

Sauvignon Blanc is one of the most unmistakable grapes in the wine world—electric, aromatic, and bursting with personality. It can be grassy or smoky, citrus-charged or mineral to the bone, and when grown in the right place, it delivers a tension and clarity that no other white grape can match. The Loire Valley is its ultimate stage. This region’s geological story mirrors Burgundy’s in many ways: millions of years beneath an ancient sea left behind chalk, limestone, and layers of flint that now crackle through the wines. And within that Loire narrative, two villages define Sauvignon Blanc excellence—Sancerre to the west and Pouilly-sur-Loire just across the river: the proud home of Pouilly-Fumé, where today the legacy of Marc Deschamps continues through the hands of Nicolas Gaudry.

The Loire Valley runs like a history book in liquid form—flowing from the Atlantic coast near Nantes (Pays Nantais) through the tuffeau-rich banks of Anjou and Saumur, past Touraine’s spectacular châteaux, and into the vineyards of the Central Loire where Sauvignon reigns. For centuries this was the playground of kings and poets: Renaissance castles rise above the riverbanks, cathedral spires cut the skyline, and sleepy wine villages hide from time. The soils shift from ocean-born limestone to volcanic schist to ancient silex, creating a mosaic of terroirs that give each appellation its own voice. Here, wine is part of daily life—fresh chèvre, warm baguette, river fish, and glasses of local Sauvignon Blanc served without ceremony but with absolute pride in place.

The estate itself spans approximately 8.5 hectares in Les Loges, a quiet hamlet north of Pouilly-sur-Loire in the heart of the Pouilly-Fumé appellation. These vines once belonged to the Figeat family before Marc Deschamps took over in 1991, and now Nicolas Gaudry has acquired the prized “Les Champs de Cri” parcel directly from his mentor. The label remains unchanged—same understated elegance—because the goal isn’t disruption, it’s preservation. “Les Champs de Cri” is 2.3 hectares of old-vine Sauvignon Blanc (average 70+ years), rooted in caillottes and Barrois/Portlandian limestone that produce wines of cut, mineral thrust, and long-lived structure.

Nothing has been compromised in the cellar: hand-harvesting at optimal ripeness, slow pneumatic pressing, native-yeast fermentation in temperature-controlled tanks, extended lees contact to build texture and mid-palate weight, and minimal fining and filtration to preserve purity. A longer élevage than the estate’s other cuvées gives this wine a calm authority—edges smoothed just enough while energy remains tightly coiled. The goal isn’t embellishment, but transparency: a winemaking approach that lets old vines and limestone speak in a crisp, ringing voice.

The 2023 “Les Champs de Cri” leaps from the glass with lime zest, white flowers, and wet-stone edges—the kind of Pouilly-Fumé that feels carved from rock. Pour it into Burgundy stems and give it a 30-minute decant to unlock its layered aromatics and soften the youthful snap. As for the perfect pairing? Grilled scallops with lemon-butter—the char and sweet ocean brine amplify the wine’s tension, while the butter folds into its silky mid-palate. This is Loire Sauvignon Blanc at its most thrilling, authentic, and inimitable.