Sauvignon A Peu Pres 2020, David Maudry, France

‘A peu pres’ means ‘nearly’ or ‘more or less..’ And in this case, it’s almost a Pouilly Fumé, the revered Loire Valley Sauvignon. It is made by David Maudry, of Domaine Lispaul in Tracy-Sur-Loire, from vines directly next to his Pouilly-Fumé vines.

What does this mean? Same climate, same soil - just not inside the demarcated appellation zone (it’s got to stop somewhere, right?). This is a rich, concentrated rendition of Sauvignon Blanc thanks to the August heatwaves in the Loire (some growers lost up to 50% of their grapes through scorching) so it has more tropical notes than you might expect from a Loire Sauvignon, but still with a mineral tingle.

It also means it’s less of an aperitif wine, unless you are serving substantial canapés, and more of one to serve with a seafood starter such as citrus-cured salmon, a prawn cocktail, or a goat cheese tartlet. With its full body, it might surprise your “I only drink red” friends.