Domaine Moreux-Corty

The origins of the Domaine date back to 1677 when Edme Corty laid the foundations for a small estate in Pouilly. André Moreux bought his first vines in 1702, but on the other side of the Loire, in Sancerre. It is incredible to think that their mutal love of wine and the land would straddle 300 years of history and pass down through twelve generations.

These origins explain why Moreux-Corty, in its current form, is present in the appellation of Pouilly-Fumé (Les Loges specifically) and Chavignol in Sancerre. These two regal appellations of Sauvignon blanc were united in 1955 by the marriage of Jeannine Corty and Raymond Moreux, direct descendants of Edme and André. As a wedding present, their parents gave them a 4.5-hectare parcel of vineyards on a hillside, named ‘’Loge Aux Moines’’.

This parcel is part of the original vineyard of Pouilly, and was in fact the first one to be cultivated in the appellation by the Benedictine monks of the 11th century. They were the winemakers of their age, great herbalists, and had a direct link to nature. They quickly learnt that this place was ideal for growing vines. The sloping vineyard faces South, overlooking the Loire, and benefits from the first rays of sunlight and is exposed to more warmth throughout the day. The soil here is rich in Kimmeridgian marl with the highest concentration of limestone in Pouilly.

Patrice Moreux, the only son of Jeannine and Raymond, was handed the keys to Domaine in 1979. His sole intention from the outset was to preserve, improve and build on his inheritance.

The story continues to the present day and it is Arnaud and Julien Moreux who have worked at the family Domaine since 2009 and 2011 respectively. The philosophy remains that in each bottle of wine you will, above all else, taste the passion, knowledge and transparency of the precious terroir.

‘’It’s an incredible site, which is very slow to express its terroir,’’ commented Arnaud Moreux to Decanter magazine. Terroir expression is at the heart of everything the brothers do, and with all the wines made in the same way (natural fermentation, native yeasts, working according to the lunar cycle and remaining chemical free).

‘’There are two types of wine in the world,’’ says Arnaud, ‘’technological wine and terroir wine. You can find both types in every wine region, but terroir wines account for about 5% of the world’s production. If the nose is more generous than the aftertaste, it’s a technological wine; vice versa, and it’s a terroir wine.’’

‘’Great Pouilly-Fumé should be a terroir wine,’’ he emphasises. ‘’Many winemakers in the region today are going in a New World direction stylistically, but we’re looking for minerality, richness and structure. We’re not here to produce perfect wine – we’re here to produce pure wine. Purity for me is perfection.’’