Domaine Tabordet - Pouilly-Fumé Les Petites Aubues 2025

Located in the village of Verdigny, this organic estate (16 hectares of Pouilly-Fumé, five hectares of Sancerre), founded in the 1960s by Raymond Tabordet, is skillfully managed by his two sons, Yvon and Pascal, who have expanded it. Today, Pascal works alongside his son Marius and his nephew Gaël. The wines are pleasing to the palate with just the right amount of complexity.

Pascal, Gaël, and Marius Tabordet work together on their 20-hectare vineyard, which produces Pouilly-Fumé and Sancerre wines. For the past three years, they have been in the process of converting to organic farming.

Marius Tabordet is part of the younger generation that is pushing the boundaries in Pouilly-Fumé (16 ha) and Sancerre (6 ha). He earned the trust of his father, Pascal, and spearheaded the shift in cultivation methods toward organic farming (certified in 2021), then began the transition to biodynamic farming. Winemaking and aging techniques have been adjusted to produce more expressive wines, a far cry from the narrow-minded whites that one still encounters in the region. And the entire clientele has changed! The wines thus reflect their terroir more closely. The sincerity, the attention to detail, the smooth textures, and the rich, indulgent character of these cuvées delight us. This is evident in the delicious “domaine” cuvées, both red and white. Let’s also commend the effort to distinguish the vintages by terroir type: in Pouilly-Fumé, Les Petites Aubues (limestone), Les Champs des Chaumes (Kimmeridgian marl), L’Autre Rive (flint); and in Sancerre, La Belle Oreille (limestone). Welcome to the guide!

Hailing from the northern part of Pouilly-Fumé and grown on limestone soils rather than the clay-siliceous soils for which the appellation is renowned, the 2025 Pouilly-Fumé “Les Petites Aubues” has a smooth character. Although it is still in the tank, it already seems approachable at this stage. The finish is marked by a lovely lively acidity, where a delicate limestone note lends an interesting texture.