Pouilly Fumé, France
Château Favray is not only famous for its smokin’ Sauvignon Blanc, it used to rub shoulders with royalty! Afterall, Francoise de la Riviere, the lady-in-waiting of Queen Margot, wife of Henri IV, resided here before. Winemaking flourished in this household for many years after but everything stopped when it was plagued with phylloxera. It was only in 1980 Quentin David brought the estate back to life! Now an idyllic estate with 16.5 hectares of vines, the family use their winemaking skills, sustainable vine growing techniques and unique heat-reflecting pebbly soil to produce one of the most incredible Sauvignon Blancs in the world.
After 38 vintages, Quentin and his wife Catherine passed the torch to the new generation, with his son Augustin now running the estate with wife Sophie (and newest generation, little Robin!) Today, they’re keeping up with the family traditions while looking to the future; adding a second wine in recent years (Tenebris); transitioning to become certified sustainable and converting to organic practices across the winery. They've even conducted studies to help protect and preserve the local terroir and its unique Kimmeridgian marl and limestone soils.
Plus, it’s not all about the wine: the family breed and race horses, and the estate offers a saddlery, leather goods and paintings!