Sauvignon Blanc has many incarnations throughout the world, but even in the Loire Valley—the grape's spiritual home—Pouilly-Fumé represents a very distinctive example and is one of the more obscure Sauvignon Blanc appellations. Pouilly-Fumé is about half the size of neighboring Sancerre just across the river but has nowhere near the market share in the US and might be practically invisible were it not for Didier Dagueneau's cult bottlings. While it shares the Kimmeridgian limestone of Sancerre, its soils also contain fragments of flint, which are presumably responsible for Pouilly-Fumé's characteristic goût de pierre à fusil, or gunflint taste. Domaine Eric Louis traces its roots back to 1860, when Eric’s great-great-grandmother Pauline sold her wines at the local markets. Eric, a fourth generation grape grower, is a serious farmer in the commune of Thauvenay, which is within the Sancerre AOC. Unsurprisingly, most of his production is focused on Sancerre, but he also makes small amounts of Quincy and Pouilly-Fume. Intense and aromatic with flinty lemon and green apple fruit on the nose. Ripe notes of passionfruit and kiwi zest follow through onto the palate. This is fleshy, fresh and sophisticated Sauvignon Blanc. Excellent.