Sancerre is definitely "a thing" right now. Many customers have enjoyed a glass served by a sommelier at a restaurant or shared a bottle with a friend and had a wow moment. Quite a few don't know or even care what grape is in the bottle as the French label their wines by appellation rather than by grape varietal.
For the record, Sancerre white wines are 100% Sauvignon Blanc and the version produced in this famous region of the Loire Valley is unlike any other. Clean, crisp and dry, Sancerre is the prototype for refreshing, mineral driven whites. They share a kinship with Chablis which is also produced in a cooler climate and often share similar Kimmeridgian limestone rich soils as well.
Less tropical than many Sauv Blanc's produced elsewhere, these show orchard fruits with a bright citrus character. They are a great match for most fish, shellfish and poultry. They are also perfect for a spring or summer day when one yearns for a wine that is light on its feet and deliciously refreshing.
This is the Wine Advocate's highest rated Sancerre of the vintage! In fact, it is the only Sancerre rated 95 Points or higher. The review is glowing, noting the delicate aromas, "satiny and deep palate with a seamless texture," "a long ethereal finish" and concluding by calling the Sancerre, "simply stunning."
Stéphane Riffault (Claude's son and now the owner of the estate) is turning out Sancerre bottlings that are the envy of many producers twice his age. Based in the village of Sury-en-Vaux, Stéphane farms 13.5 hectares of vines with no synthetic chemicals used. Starting in 2017, the property has been certified organic by ECOCERT and biodynamic by BIODYVIN. Unlike most Sancerre producers, the entire harvest is carried out by hand, and extensive sorting occurs before the grapes are crushed.
Most of the domaine's holdings are planted on the soft limestone soil called terres blanches, with some parcels on calliottes and silex. The name "Les Chasseignes" refers to the rocky terroir comprised of shallow limestone soil. Minor, judicious use of oak helps to add length to the already precise, site-expressive bottlings. All the parcels are vinified separately and all the wines are bottled unfiltered.
Having studied and worked in Burgundy and closely with Olivier Leflaive, it's easy to see the Burgundian influence in Stéphane's wines. The mastery of minerality married with outstanding texture is rarely duplicated in Sancerre.
Riffault's wines are always crisp with a purity and focus that are worthy of your attention.
WINE ADVOCATE 95 POINTS - "Exhibiting a delicate, subtle bouquet of oak reduction, white orchard fruits and flowers, the 2022 Sancerre Les Chasseignes possesses a medium to full-bodied, satiny and deep palate with a seamless texture, a fleshy core of fruit and a long, saline, ethereal finish. Matured for 14 months in barrels, this Sancerre, crafted from vines planted on chalky soils at the top of hillsides facing northeast, is simply stunning."
For the record, Sancerre white wines are 100% Sauvignon Blanc and the version produced in this famous region of the Loire Valley is unlike any other. Clean, crisp and dry, Sancerre is the prototype for refreshing, mineral driven whites. They share a kinship with Chablis which is also produced in a cooler climate and often share similar Kimmeridgian limestone rich soils as well.
Less tropical than many Sauv Blanc's produced elsewhere, these show orchard fruits with a bright citrus character. They are a great match for most fish, shellfish and poultry. They are also perfect for a spring or summer day when one yearns for a wine that is light on its feet and deliciously refreshing.
This is the Wine Advocate's highest rated Sancerre of the vintage! In fact, it is the only Sancerre rated 95 Points or higher. The review is glowing, noting the delicate aromas, "satiny and deep palate with a seamless texture," "a long ethereal finish" and concluding by calling the Sancerre, "simply stunning."
Stéphane Riffault (Claude's son and now the owner of the estate) is turning out Sancerre bottlings that are the envy of many producers twice his age. Based in the village of Sury-en-Vaux, Stéphane farms 13.5 hectares of vines with no synthetic chemicals used. Starting in 2017, the property has been certified organic by ECOCERT and biodynamic by BIODYVIN. Unlike most Sancerre producers, the entire harvest is carried out by hand, and extensive sorting occurs before the grapes are crushed.
Most of the domaine's holdings are planted on the soft limestone soil called terres blanches, with some parcels on calliottes and silex. The name "Les Chasseignes" refers to the rocky terroir comprised of shallow limestone soil. Minor, judicious use of oak helps to add length to the already precise, site-expressive bottlings. All the parcels are vinified separately and all the wines are bottled unfiltered.
Having studied and worked in Burgundy and closely with Olivier Leflaive, it's easy to see the Burgundian influence in Stéphane's wines. The mastery of minerality married with outstanding texture is rarely duplicated in Sancerre.
Riffault's wines are always crisp with a purity and focus that are worthy of your attention.
WINE ADVOCATE 95 POINTS - "Exhibiting a delicate, subtle bouquet of oak reduction, white orchard fruits and flowers, the 2022 Sancerre Les Chasseignes possesses a medium to full-bodied, satiny and deep palate with a seamless texture, a fleshy core of fruit and a long, saline, ethereal finish. Matured for 14 months in barrels, this Sancerre, crafted from vines planted on chalky soils at the top of hillsides facing northeast, is simply stunning."
