Wine of the week: a magical sauvignon blanc

2021 Pouilly-Fumé, Petit F…, Domaine Michel Redde et Fils, Loire, France

£20.90, greatgrog.co.uk; £25.50, ampswine merchants.co.uk; £23, oxfordwine.co.uk

I adore Michel Redde’s portfolio of stunning sauvignon blancs. They typify the elegance and restraint of this oft-tuttifrutti variety. In addition, they sing of the limestone, marl and flint soils uniquely responsible for the poise and precision of these wines. On this page, back in July 2019, I alerted you to a “perfect-score” sauvignon blanc – Redde’s 2017 Barre à Mine. This is the only wine made from this famous grape I have awarded 20/20. The other day, I tasted 2020 Barre à Mine (£44.99, vivino.com), and it is utterly spellbinding. Made in tiny quantities, if you adore this grape, then you must make it your mission to drink this celestial wine – it is like nothing else on Earth. But this is not the only wine in the Redde range that fired up my neurones this week. My featured Petit F… is the entry-level sauvignon made from young vines, and this newly released vintage is a magical discovery.

In addition, 2020 PouillyFumé La Moynerie (£23.95, jeroboams.co.uk;

£25.39, greatgrog.co.uk; £33.99, thevineking.com; £26.95, wadebridgewines.co.uk; £28.50, corkage.co.uk), Redde’s flagship wine, is also a thriller, with bracing citrus and green-apple tones under enchanting florals. With three spectacular sauvignon blancs this week, you can decide how far along the Redde path you would like to wander. I hope you make it to the finish line!

Matthew Jukes is a winner of the International Wine & Spirit Competition’s Communicator of the Year (MatthewJukes.com).