Pouilly-Fumé vs. Pouilly-Fuissé

They sound so similar but couldn’t be more different.

Pouilly-Fumé and Pouilly-Fuissé are both French white wines.
But, that’s basically where the similarities end.

Pouilly-Fumé
-Dry white wine made with Sauvignon Blanc
-From the Loire Valley
-Known for its flinty or smoky flavor (fumé means smoke)
-Similar to Sancerre
-Medium to high acid, with low to medium body
-Generally not for long-term aging

Pouilly-Fuissé
-Dry white wine made with Chardonnay
-From Fuissé in Burgundy
-Low to medium acid, with medium to high body
-Can be expensive
-Known to age well

The photo above shows two lovely examples I recently tried:

J. de Villebois 2021 Pouilly-Fumé
This Sauvignon Blanc is a very pale straw color with green highlights. It has faint aromas of dry green grass, barely ripe green fruit, and a hint of stone or flint. It has nice body for a Sauvignon Blanc, definitely medium to medium-plus, thanks to its 12.5% alcohol content. It has bright acidity and a smooth, round finish and tastes like green apple. This wine would be great with chicken, fish, or seafood. We are typically Chardonnay drinkers in our house, but this was my husband’s favorite of the two Pouillys. It gets 91 points from both James Suckling and Wine Enthusiast, and is $31.99 on Wine.com.

Duboeuf 2020 Pouilly-Fuissé Emile Beranger
This Chardonnay is also a pale straw color, but with golden highlights. It smells like buttercream and raw almonds. Or as my husband said, “it smells like a pastry house!” It’s very subtley oaked, so those buttercream aromas don’t take over your mouth. This is not at all reminiscent of a buttery California Chardonnay. It has a soft, full body, with some really nice lime flavor. It’s remarkably fresh for a Chardonnay, yet very elegant. I’d love this with lobster or fish or cheese. Wine Spectator gave this wine 91 points. James Suckling gave it 90 points. It’s also $31.99 on Wine.com.

Two great white wines for late spring.

Chin!