Francis recognizes that his small-production Pouilly-Fumé bottlings are highly sought-after—his front door is imprinted by the knuckles of a thousand importers—so you’d expect one of two outcomes: an increase in production or ramped-up prices. Some producers get away with both, but Francis hasn’t done either. What’s more, the quality of each new release seems to reach unprecedented levels. It’s a traditionally crafted, extremely affordable, must-have ‘collectible’ for anyone who admires pure Loire Valley terroir and the value of a dollar. 

In Francis Blanchet’s eyes, creating a lineup of high-quality, resolutely classic Sauvignon Blanc boils down to one, simple mantra: Different soil? Different wine! This 2020 “Kriotine,” unafraid of flaunting its wonderfully ripe and exotic layers, is sourced from a tiny 1.7-hectare vineyard on chalky-limestone soils. And these unique, ancient soils make all the difference. 

The fruit is hand-harvested and fermented using only ambient yeasts in stainless steel. Afterward, the resulting wine ages in steel tanks for approximately six months where it initially undergoes a bâtonnage (lees-stirring) regimen. It is then quickly bottled to preserve the freshness and strong mineral imprint. Layers of green tropical fruit, citrus, and crushed stones blast out of the glass and race around your palate with luxuriously ripe textures and zippy energy. It’s one of the cool moments in wine where you can nail the grape and place before even tasting—that’s Francis Blanchet for you.