Domaine du Bouchot

A family estate since 1966, Domaine du Bouchet is 10 hectares in size and has been crafting wine for decades, with the latest owner, Antoine Gouffier, shaking things up. Born and raised in the villages of Pouilly-Fumé, as a young adult Antoine chose to embark on a decade of backpacking around the world. Traipsing through America, Argentina, Africa, and even the Middle East he learnt new methods and ways of life outside of the borders of France. In America he began with learning all about the three-tier system from various wine importers, then his time in Argentina was spent with Michel Rolland and his right-hand-man Thierry Haberer of Clos de los Siete wine estate. Once arriving in South Africa Antoine worked and learned from Duncan Savage, and as a sweet surprise it was where he met Ilse Nel, his now wife.

This led to a massive shake up once returning home to France and taking over from the Kerbiquet family at Domaine du Bouchet. Instantly making his mark Antoine set about planting new vines, renovating the cellar, purchasing new equipment and amphorae. He also began experimenting with old oak barrels with his wines.

The domaine has been biodynamically certified since 2009, allowing Antoine to step into a vineyard that shares his beliefs already. Being the first domaine to be certified Organic in the Pouilly-Fumé appellation, Antoine continued to push biodiversity and the correlation to the Lunar calendar to achieve Biodynamic certification soon after he took over. With the help of his mentor and expert in biodynamics, Pascal Kerbiquet, he continues to champion the thriving nature in his vineyards.

The vines are all planted to Sauvignon Blanc and sit on the south-west slope of the hill next to the village of Saint Andelain. Here the soils consist of clay and limestone from the Kimmeridgian era, perfect to bring the light freshness to Sauvignon. His vinification method includes minimal intervention, with a focus on clarity of the terroir, producing wines of vibrant elegance.

There are 3 key wines of the domaine, with all the grapes spread across nearly 15 hectares around Pouilly-Fume. Parcels of Caillottes and Terres Blanches are the key two plots, with the third wine MCMLV also being from the Terres Blanches plot but only picked from the old vines bringing more depth to the bottle. As a recent addition, Antoine has started producing an orange wine that we are lucky enough to import to Australia.

Pouilly-Fume "Caillottes" 2020
Pouilly-Fume "MCMLV" 2020
Pouilly-Fumé "Orange Bio" 2020
Pouilly-Fume "Terres Blanches" 2020