Sauvignon Blanc

This is made from the Chasselas grape, the lesser-known variety of Pouilly, with only a handful of hectares remaining today. Jonathan’s is one of the best examples: refined and floral, juicy and refreshing. What it lacks in Sauvignon Blanc’s razor sharp edges it gains in its delicate proportions.

This is a blend of four parcels, with a high proportion of fruit from vines older than 50 years. It is smooth and fruity. Its brightness is piqued with a fine line of pithy bitterness. This is a great example of the appellation, and has taken on some definition and drive from its first year in bottle. This is so refreshing and quenching.

This north-facing limestone site is cool and late ripening. In a warm year like 2019 its quality soars. There is such a fine acidity and outstanding length. I was really blown away by this, and can’t wait to see how the fruit and acidity entwine further with some bottle age. Nervous and tense, this warrants attention.

This is packed with juicy concentration, with an impressive tension. This is terroir-driven Sauvignon Blanc, with the texture and balance to age well, though it’s probably too enticing to ignore right now. Impressive length.

Le Château is one of the best sites in the village, nestled in the heart of Bué, just north of Le Grand Chemarin and Chêne Marchand, on Kimmeridgian marl. The wine is tense and powerful with a racy richness and weight. Ageing in oak barrels (none new) gives this Sauvignon Blanc a roundness that works so well with the natural power of the site and this vintage.

Eurythmie is the domaine’s top wine and comes from a mixture of marl and flint soils. The wine is aged in demi-muids (large oak barrels), and the plump 2018 fruit carries the toasty, slightly spiced aspect of the oak with panache. This is a great match of vintage with vinification, which are excellently integrated. Superb.

The Metis Sauvignon Blanc was inspired by Matt’s time in Sancerre. It comes from a single plot at high altitude, with more granite in the soil than the single vineyards. Treated naturally in the cellar, with as little intervention as possible, Matt leaves this on the lees for longer than when he started, and is putting more and more of the blend into oak. The result is a wine that impresses with its tension and sizzling energy, but that doesn’t lack breadth, or mouthfilling texture.

From a blend of parcels across the limestone soils of the appellation. The cool nights during the warm 2019 harvest help keep the freshness locked in here. This has a limestone salinity and a brilliant tension. Such a great example of the appellation.

Sancerre’s best known and greatest site, this dramatic hillside of terres blanches in Chavignol wraps around the hillside and dips into the commune of Verdigny, where Luc’s parcel lies. This 2018 has that signature power and depth you should expect from this exceptional site. The attack is ample and weighted, with a luminous acidity that drives through to a long, lingering finish. This will age with great style.

From a single vineyard of Sauvignon Blanc, planted with the Italian clone, this is a wonderfully aromatic, textured Sauvignon Blanc. Unique, and brilliantly delicious.

This parcel is just behind the house, with Kimmeridgian limestone soils. It has fresh aromas of citrus fruits and oyster brine, with a lightly fruity and fresh palate, with nice minerality on the finish. Restrained and terroir-driven.

Luc Prieur’s Sancerre Blanc is one of the best value in the appellation - detailed, balanced, so refreshing, and admirably ageworthy. It comes from parcels dotted around the village of Verdigny and is a blend of the three major soil types found in the region: caillottes, silex and terres blanches. The 2019 is poised and restrained, with a fine saline structure and impressive tension. This is exceptional terroir-driven Sauvignon Blanc from one of the finest young talents in the region.

This is a warmer, south-facing site than Fumet. In 2019 there is wonderful weight from the peachy nectarine fruit and a floral lift. Just gorgeous right now, and the weight will carry it so well through a few years in the cellar.

Chailloux is the local Sancerrois name for flint (more commonly known as silex), and this parcel is tucked up in the north-east of the appellation where this soil type predominates. It has a northwest aspect and is shaded by a large forest. Flinty sites are often a little warmer, but this one keeps cool, and produces profound acidity. This 2019 is so pure and fresh. After its 12 month élevage, it promises to be irresistible.

This parcel of Kimmeridgian marl, known locally as terres blanches, gives wines full of flavour and texture. The acidity and alcohol are so perfectly matched in 2019. This is all about power and precision.

This was our top pick from the domaine’s four single vineyard wines. It comes from old vines planted on sandy gravel soils. It is always the first site to be picked, and in 2020 it captures the vibrant acidity and freshness of the vintage. The nose has subtle melon and green apple fruit, whilst the palate has beautiful energy, with crisp weight.

This is a great vintage for Sauvignon Blanc in the Loire: ripe, balanced, and packed with punchy acidity. In 2019 Jean-François harvested this at night and the result is a pleasingly fresh wine with expressive energy. This is benchmark Sauvignon de Touraine, and a winner at this price.

Harmonie is one of best loved Pinard cuvées. It is a blend of the top vineyards in Bué: Chêne Marchand and Grand Chemarin. The nose is so complex: crushed seashells, anise, a touch of tropical fruit, and with some air a little camomile. There is such a nice volume and weight on the palate. This is Sauvignon Blanc at its rich but vibrant best.

Les Créots is found in the relatively unknown village of Thauvenay at the south-eastern limit of the appellation. Its quartz-flecked clay soils are fertile ground for quality-minded producers seeking vineyard expression. For an introduction to the domaine’s whites, you couldn’t do much better than this. It is floral and delicate on the nose. The palate has an agile freshness. This is a wonderfully restrained style of Sancerre Blanc.

This is from a limestone parcel near Tracy-sur-Loire and in 2018 is ripe but full of energy. The wine has spent 18 months ageing in concrete tanks before bottling. It has a creamy texture and a deliciously long, fresh finish, with classic limestone drive at the end.

Pieuchaud is a flinty-soiled lieu dit in the commune of Thauvenay in the south-east of the appellation. Luc decided to isolate this vineyard after noting it always produced fruit with great maturity whilst maintaining high acidity - the secret to single vineyard wines in his opinion. In a warm vintage like 2018, this stood out for its nerve, vim, flinty precision, and raw charge.

The 2020 G de Guiraud is a real beauty, from a blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon, from organically farmed vineyards. The nose is stunning, with notes of wild flowers, ripe Seville oranges, and plenty of grapefruit zest. Despite the generosity of the fruit, the palate has zingy acidity, and lovely texture. This is a brilliant G de Guiraud.