Domaine Masson-Blondelet: Vineyards
The domaine’s cellars are, as already indicated, located on the main road running through Pouilly-sur-Loire, and today Pouilly-Fumé remains the focus of the domaine, although the family also own and work a few hectares in Sancerre. Altogether they exploit 21 hectares of vines. In Pouilly-Fumé, the family have vines on a variety of terroirs:
Many of the Masson-Blondelet vines are located on Kimmeridgian marls just to the north of Pouilly-sur-Loire, in the lieux-dits Les Griottes, Les Bascoins and Les Fouinelles; in the latter parcel there are some older vines here which are channelled into a dedicated cuvée. I provide more information on the range of wines below.
The family also have some vines on Oxfordian limestones, mostly Calcaire de Villiers but there is a little Calcaire de Tonnerre. These vines are in Les Varennes, which lies very close to Pouilly-sur-Loire, and in the lieu-dit Les Toupées, close to Villiers and St-Martin-sur-Nohain, in the northeastern corner of the Pouilly-Fumé appellation. I have heard Jean-Michel describe this latter terroir as Portlandian, but my studies of the geology of the region don’t bear this out.
Flint makes a fleeting appearance in the Pouilly-Fumé portfolio, with a parcel of vines in Les Chailloux on the hill of Saint-Andélain (pictured), which was added to the portfolio in 2004. As for Sancerre, the Masson-Blondelet vines are in the village of Thauvenay. They also own a small 0.4-hectare plot of Chasselas on the Pouilly side of the river, a variety long-associated with the region and which is eligible for the Pouilly-sur-Loire appellation.
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