A Sauvignon Blanc comparison [Ant Moore Signature Series and De Ladoucette Pouilly-Fumé]

We did a side by side sauvignon blanc [SB] tasting earlier this week, comparing two classic but contrasting styles. I'm not a huge fan of Sauv generally but am trying to up my game in appreciating it.

• 2021 Ant Moore Signature Series Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough, New Zealand [AM], which retails in the UK for about £13.
  
• 2019 De Ladoucette Pouilly-Fumé [PF], which retails at over twice the price, c£30.
  

Pouilly-Fumé is centred on the village of Pouilly-sur-Loire, in the Nièvre Department. PF AOC wine is 100% SB (and not to be confused with Pouilly-Fuissé in the Maconnais, which is made from chardonnay). Just across the Loire on the other bank in the Cher Department is Sancerre, and together they produce a couple of the notable styles of French SB. Marlborough in NZ is also noted for its premium production, but in a quite different style to the old world. 

Both pale lemon in colour as you'd expect, but slightly more depth of colour to the PF.

The PF had lovely citrus, apple, peaches, wet stone and hints of tropicality on the nose, with strong acidity on the palate. Pronounced lemon flavours, and the peach again with flinty characteristics coming thorough on the palate with just a hint of greater complexity - tight with a medium finish. Will definitely mature a little more and opened up very nicely the longer we left it. Steel-fermented.

The AM had classic NZ profiles - passion fruit in the foreground on the nose with a background of gooseberry, on the palate the passion fruit remained strong, with vegetal notes/cut grass, but all slightly more restrained than some of the more intense NZ styles (and all the better for it). Slightly shorter finish than the PF but only marginally. A small proportion of the wine was fermented in old barriques and the rest in steel. 

The AM probably edged it at the time - noting that this was a standalone drink on what was a lovely summer's day sitting in the garden, but the PF comes into its own paired with food - either aperitif or a light summer meal with complementary acidity.