This is time for tying-up the Sauvignon Blanc vines of our futur pouilly fume.

Right now, our permanent employees team constituted by : Thierry, Aymeric, Amaury, Jérôme, and Stevens work of the maintenance of the vine which grows quickly.

We are currently on a period of tying-up.

In our estate, this work is entirely manual. Tying-up consists in raising wires which hold Sauvignon Blanc shoots of each side of the rows in order that the vine does not leave in all directions.

Today our team is in « Les Fouinelles » (this is one plot of our vineyard) in the Bouchot in Pouilly sur Loire

Everything is all right, the vine is beautiful, the land is dry, the pressure of the disease (mildew) is low and nevertheless it is a real race against the clock in which we are engaged. Because storms are announced at the end of the week, which could damage our vines and so our future pouilly fume !

That’s why Thierry, Aymeric, Amaury, Jérôme and Stevens work tirelessly to finish the tying-up in time in order that the vine is protected at the best for all breakages, which could be made by storms or violent winds…

Next… Tying-down…

Pictures : Alexandra Porras in the vines of Domaine Masson-Blondelet.

The Danish Sommelier Niels Iversen (Picture below) tasted and kept several wines including our Pouilly fume Villa Paulus 2012. He describes it as a dry and fresh white wine having an elegant taste of citrus-fruit and nice controlled minerality and acidity notes. With wine pairing, he proposes us asparagus, summer salad or row fishes.

Article of 23.05.15 in « Midtjullands Avis » written by Soren Sohn

La Revue du Vin de France, special vintage 2014 (June 2015), rated our Pouilly fume « Villa Paulus » 2014 between 15,5 – 16,5/20.

Villa Paulus. Precocity, frankness of aromas and volume in this precise and neat white wine which expresses itself on yellow fruits. 16€”

On 13.05.15,

Mr Eric Bernardin spent his weekend in Montbazillac with some friends. One of his activities was cooking. Eric Bernardin made four recipes, above one was associated with the wine of our estate. He made a dish with asparagus and a crumble of parmesan cheese and nuts accompanied by a reduction of pomelo juice. He paired this dish with our Pouilly Fume « Villa Paulus » of vintage 1998 !

Many thanks to him for this wonderful idea !

Read more: http://www.paperblog.fr/7628794/la-matinee-ou-j-ai-joue-a-top-chef-en-quatre-recettes/

Pouilly Fume “Villa Paulus” mentioned in the Tribune Review on 12.05.15 for Loire Valley White Wines

“For the 2013 Domaine Masson-Blondelet Pouilly Fume “Villa Palus”, France (Luxury 45060 ; $22.99), growers Michelle and Jean-Michel Masson like to say they cultivate their vines like their kitchen garden — without weed killers, insecticides and fertilizers. This sustainable approach delivers flavorful grapes well-reflected in the wines.

The “Villa Palus” blend comes from Kimmeridgian soils on east-facing slopes. The nose’s delicate citrus aromas mingle with subtle smoky hints. Rich, pure grapefruit and melon flavors balance with zesty acidity through the dry finish. The wine embodies confident, restrained winemaking. Highly recommended.”

Written by Dave DeSimone

A silver medal obtained again, at the IWC this time, by the cuvée 2014 Sancerre Blanc « Thauvenay »: Ripe grapefruit with chalky mineral and fresh vibrant finish. modern style, fig leaf with preserved lemon richness.

The cuvée 2014 Pouilly-Fumé « Villa Paulus » has been commended by the IWC as well.

Our 2014 Sancerre Blanc « Thauvenay » obtained a silver medal at the Concours des Grands Vins de France of Macôn !

Moreover, 2014 Pouilly-Fumé “Villa Paulus” and 2014 Sancerre Blanc « Thauvenay » obtained an award at the Deacanter World Wines Awards.

The 3rd International Fair of Actual Art in the cellars in Pouilly-Fumé was the first weekend of May in our little city of Pouilly-sur-Loire. The goal of this event was to bring together painters and winemakers. The Masson-Blondelet estate chose Muriel Napoli and her works of art, permitting to go perfectly with art and wine.

Amandine Chevalier, art historian, tells some words about it:

“Muriel Napoli exposed her minerals and organics works at Masson-Blondelet estate. Her delicates paintings with grey nuances, where we can find now some colour, parsimonious blue, evoke the permanent transformation of the nature, between sedimentation and concretion. Her technique is a sharing between fluid and transparent application and accumulation of paint, small cluster as meteors. The obtained abstract forms sometimes evoke flowers petals which perfectly married with the vault of the cellar. The owner of the cellar is attentive to the nature and applies integrated viticulture. Not very concerned by labels and other appellations, he grows his vines respecting the environment and talks with passion of his wines. The different terroirs of Pouilly-Fumé AOC – Kimmeridgian marl, limestone soil or flint – express themselves in his different cuvées.”

Many thanks to Dr. Bernard-Noël CHAGNY, the author of these wonderful aerial pictures of Pouilly-Fumé vineyard with autumn colours.

Here we can see the Loire River, Pouilly-sur-Loire Village and of course Pouilly-Fumé vines with actual colours…

Wonderful autumn colours for the slopes of Pouilly-Fumé… by Bernard-Noël CHAGNY… 

You can admire more pictures of him in his website: http://kap-archeo.com

Below the vines of “table-land”, where is produced our Pouilly-Fumé “Villa Paulus” on kimmeridgian marl near to the roman way.

The full 10 permanent employees team of Masson-Blondelet in this first day of 2014 harvest under a blue sky for the harvest of our more beautiful grapes of Pouilly-Fumé…