Hip Tastes Blog

Bring On the Cat's Pee!
filed under: Regional Spotlight, Winning Wines

"I think I smell a soupcon of cat's pee in this wine."
"Come again?"
"You know, pipi du chat."

Um, ok. Whatever you call it - cat's pee or the more sophisticated-sounding French version, pipi du chat - there's no getting around the fact that this is one ugly way to describe a wine. I've heard it used to describe the good stuff time and again and have hated it every time. I mean, can you think of a more unsettling way to describe something you're about to drink? But, I must say that when I attended a recent media lunch for Pouilly Fume's Claude MICHOT, pictured here with me, I really felt like the pipi du chat descriptor suited his wine. And that's not to say it wasn't good wine - on the contrary, it was outstanding!

Pouilly Fume, an appellation in the Loire Valley region of France, is famous for its copious production (around 6 million bottles annually!) of white wine made from the Sauvignon Blanc grape. Situated to the east of more famous appellation Sancerre, Pouilly has suffered from overproduction in the past but also turns out some very good wine. Such is the case for Michot's wine, a darling Sauvignon Blanc redolent with the pungent aromatics typical of Loire Sauvignon.

The heady aromatics in Michot's wine come from a combination of the grape variety's innate pungency and the limestone-rich soil of the appellation. Michot's wine, simply called "Pouilly Fume" after the appellation where it's grown, boasts layered aromatics including freshly cut grass, acacia blossoms, grapefruit and, well, cat's pee (the grape variety talking here) as well as wet stones, mineral and smoke (that's the terroir, or appellation, talking). "Fume" is French for "smoked," incidentally, a nomiker that's no coincidence!

But back to the cat's pee. It's a descriptor often used to describe Sauvignon Blanc. But it's rarely observed in the riper Sauvignons you get in California; instead, it usually comes into play in cooler-climate Sauvignons such as those hailing from New Zealand and France. Mineral-driven soils in particular seem to bring out the pee quality, and minerality is something the Loire's got in spades.

Is it unpleasant? No! It's not exactly a literal cat's pee smell, which can be so gut wrenchingly upleasant you think you might lose your lunch every time you catch a whiff. Instead, it's quite muted, more of an essence of cat's pee, really. Some noted wine critics, in fact, claim that a crisp Sauvignon Blanc without a certain soupcon of cat's pee is a disappointment!

And so, after tasting Michot's delicious Pouilly that harmonized the cat's pee thing with other delicious aromas and flavors and stellar balance, I've finally reconciled myself to the cat's pee thing. Michot's wine, you might say, made a convert of me.

Henceforth, bring on cat's pee! My glass is empty and beckoning.

Tasting Notes - 2005 Claude Michot "Les Berthiers" Pouilly Fume:
This beautiful Sauvignon Blanc from Les Berthiers, one of the two best growing regions in the Pouilly Fume appellation, strikes an ideal balance between the vibrant acidity that makes Sauvignon so food friendly and a ripeness that lends it balance and lots of appeal. The nose is heady with acacia blossoms, wet stones, honeysuckle, grapefruit, smoke and meadow grass, while the palate delights with more grapefruit, tomato essence and bell pepper.

About Claude MICHOT
Affable winemaker Claude Michot hails from the commune of Saint Andelain in Pouilly sur Loire, where he's been making wine for more than 30 years on his family's estate. He's known as a purist when it comes to Sauvignon Blanc, and his wines are in the style of the best Pouilly Fumes: clean, flinty and ripe. Stainless steel fermentation.

Posted by Courtney on November 10, 2006 12:53 PM

Comments

I've always been a little hesitant to use the "cat pee" descriptor. I know the mildly acrid and sharp aromas that it refers to, but it's a little puzzling to me that this can be summed up with cat pee rather than some other animal's urine.

Posted by: Ben Bicais on November 28, 2006 11:53 AM
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Ben,

I totally agree! As a cat lover, it kinda bums me out. But I think it's just become such a fixture in the wine gab lexicon that it's here to stay, hence the reference to wine critics who're remiss when it's NOT mentioned. Sheesh. So weird.

Posted by: Courtney on November 28, 2006 06:10 PM
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My favorite is "cat pee on a gooseberry bush".

Posted by: Stephan on January 6, 2007 12:15 PM
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That has got to be the ultimate in obnoxious wine critic gab. Whoever said that should be sent home!

Posted by: Courtney on January 6, 2007 12:57 PM
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This is one of the most beautiful vintage since a long time...delightful...And Monsieur michot did a very good job...

Posted by: Frederic Hemon on January 11, 2007 05:54 PM
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Monsieur Michot is such a gentleman... Such a nice guy. And his wine is superb! Crisp, mineral, refreshing... this wine is such a pleaser!

Posted by: Raphael on January 30, 2007 10:02 AM
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