Description
Corty Artisan, Pouilly-Fumé “Intro”
Pouilly-Fumé and Sancerre are the twin totems of Sauvignon Blanc excellence. Domaine Moreux-Corty has a piece of each, but the larger one, by a wide margin, is in Pouilly-Fumé. The twin brothers who now run this property, Arnaud and Julien Moreux, represent the 14th generation of their family to do so, and their heirloom vines in Pouilly-Fumé encompass the rich mosaic of soil types found here.
“Intro,” as its name suggests, is a panoramic view of the Pouilly-Fumé terroir, incorporating fruit grown in pebbly limestone (caillotes), flint (silex), and Kimmeridgian limestone/clay marl. It’s a master class in this appellation/grape and, at just $34, a white that stands toe-to-toe with white Burgundy in the way it seamlessly melds concentrated fruit and soil character. How wines this serious remain so affordable is beyond me, but as always, ours is not to reason why: Stock up and feel good about one of the shrewdest summer wine investments out there.
There’s no shortage of history behind “Intro,” that’s for sure: It started with one Edme Corty, who set up a small domaine in Pouilly in 1677, and continued to the other side of the Loire, in Sancerre, where Andre Moreux bought his first vines in 1702. The two families, and appellations, were united by the marriage of Jeannine Corty and Raymond Moreux, in 1955. The estate’s holdings, and reputation, were built up by Patrice Moreux, Arnaud and Julien’s father, who handed them the reins of the operation several years ago.
Writing for Decanter magazine, Loire expert Amy Wislocki described the Moreux brothers as being “single-minded in their pursuit of a pure, terroir-driven style.” This includes an assortment of soil-specific cuvées to complement “Intro,” which is sourced from three distinct sites (average vine age: 30 years) in the towns of Les Loges and Saint-Andelain. The assorted limestone/clay/flint combinations of the Pouilly-Fumé appellation are represented, with grapes from each parcel vinified separately in stainless steel on native yeasts. The wine is then aged in steel on its lees before bottling.
Expect big flavor and laser focus alike when you pull the cork on this 2020: In the glass, it has a brilliant pale straw-gold core with glints of green leading out to the rim. It leads with an array of freshly cut green peach, Meyer lemon, and lime, followed by notes of passionfruit, papaya, yellow peach skin, and white flowers. There is gripping minerality, too: crushed flint and wet stone dominate the mid-palate, and lingering accents of smoke and white pepper push into a lengthy finish. It will evolve gracefully over the next 2-3 years, but this is a joy to drink now. I recommend a 15-minute decant to shed any nervous energy and serving in all-purpose white stems around 50-55 degrees. Pair it with the attached shrimp risotto dish—the chèvre is the perfect accent note!
