On this year's Epiphany Day, three white wines from the Loire Valley, France, were introduced to this city whose authorities are ambivalent toward wine.

The three -- Pascal Jolivet Sancerre, Pouilly-Fum*, and Attitude Jolivet Sauvignon Blanc, all of the 2007 vintage -- were presented by none other than Pascal Jolivet himself, the owner and winemaker, at a casual gathering at VIN+ in Kemang, South Jakarta.

Pascal Jolivet presents one of his wines at a casual afternoon gathering at VIN+ in Kemang, South Jakarta, on Tuesday. (JP/Arif Suryobuwono)

Generally speaking, the three are still too young, as evident in their high acidity and strong onslaughts of attacks on the palate, which are somehow reminiscent of their sparkling siblings.

Obviously they need to be cellared for perhaps "five and even more years", as experienced wine expert Marita Que told me.

Or, "enjoy them as an aperitif", added chef Gilles Marc from the Park Lane Hotel's Riva restaurant, who was also present. Or if you want to enjoy them now, it is advisable to "decant them", as Jolivet himself suggests.

Yes, white wines, too, can be decanted, although decanting is commonly associated with red wines.

Another general feature observable in the three is their restrained nose, which is a far cry from New World wines' highly aromatic olfactory profile. This is attributable to "100 percent natural winemaking", according to Jolivet, which goes beyond mere organic winemaking.

Organic wine normally means organic viticulture. When the grape has turned into juice, there are no more restrictions. With natural winemaking, however, the restrictions continue.

Even the yeast used to ferment the juice is natural, not cultured. The aim is to produce pure, elegant wines that truly reflect their terroir, he explained.

Of the three, the one that appealed to me the most that day was the Pouilly-Fum*. That is, after waiting for some time for the temperature to go down, allowing the austere wine to ease up.

Indeed, temperature is a decisive factor in enjoying such wines at such a young age. However, the aroma was very volatile and showed up very little.

This, I believe, explains why the tasting note says the wine has a "very clean nose" without further elaborating. The subtlety of the smokiness of the wine, which puts its oak-soaked counterparts to shame, the smoothness of the texture, its freshness and mineral flavors, the beguiling depth of the layers being lifted up with each sip, instantly alluded to the subliminal and tremendously relaxing, yet challenging the mind at the same time.

The Sancerre, on the other hand, was not what I sincerely expect. It was not calm, refined, subtle, smooth or charming like a lady.

It was like a very fresh, lively, rustic, rambunctious lass with red cheeks, smelling slightly herby/grassy after a play in the mountains. Let's see what she's like when she blossoms into a woman.

The third wine is like an outlier in statistics. It unashamedly sports a New World look and tastes strong, youthful and simpler, like a New World wine.

Look at the label: "Sauvignon Blanc" and "Product of France" are clearly written on the lozenge-shaped front label. The back label is even more promotion-driven: "Attitude Sauvignon; the Loire Valley, Home of Sauvignon Blanc."

Traditionally, no French winery would disclose the name of the grape variety on their label, let alone make such a declaration. But this is Jolivet's answer to the popularity of New World Sauvignon Blanc wines, led by New Zealand's Cloudy Bay.

He simply wants to set the record straight: the home of Sauvignon Blanc is the Loire Valley, not New Zealand. His ambition is obvious: he wants to compete with New Zealand wineries and win.

To realize this ambition, two years ago he even entered into a joint venture with a New Zealand winery, Trinity Hills, to produce 20,000 bottles of aromatic Metis wine annually.

"It's a mix between New Zealand style and old natural winemaking philosophy," he said.

So far, an initial step toward victory has been etched. Emirates airline has decided to serve Metis 2008 on board its first class for the next six months, he said with delight.

Sancerre and Pouilly-Fum* (Pouilly-sur-Loire) are situated at the middle of the Loire. On the map, Sancerre is on the left bank and Pouilly-Fum* on the right bank of the river.

It takes only 10 minutes to go by car from Sancerre to Pouilly-Fum*, and yet the two have different microclimates, which are reflected in their wines.

Sancerre is colder than Pouilly-Fum*, which is rainier, according to a year-long climatic survey conducted 16 years ago by Japanese researchers, said Jolivet, who finds Sancerre wine easier to drink than Pouilly-Fum*, which he refers to as a "more intellectual, delicate" wine.

Pascal Jolivet wines should ideally be served at 8 degrees Celsius so they reach 10 degree when drunk. At VIN+, they are priced from Rp 480,000 (US$45) to Rp 639,000.

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