Claude Riffault

Claude Riffault lies in Sancerre in the Loire Valley and has been making wine here since the 19th century. The domaine is now run by Claude’s son, Stéphane, the fourth generation of the family to take the reins and he has turned around its reputation since he took over. His wines are quickly becoming some of the most exciting in the region. Stéphane trained with Olivier Leflaive in Burgundy and this influence is clear. His whites are precise, mineral and carefully crafted and his reds are perfectly balanced. In total, Stéphane is responsible for just over 15 hectares around Sury-en-Vaux, in the north of the Sancerre appellation. The majority of his vines are Sauvignon Blanc, with around 3 hectares planted with Pinot Noir. One of his first changes when he took over was to steer the domaine towards organic farming practices and he achieved official certification in 2016. Despite the domaines diminutive size, Stephane is kept busy with 33 different parcels spread across six different lieu-dits in four different villages. He carries out all his work by hand, meticulously sorting prior to vinification. Each cuvee is vinified separately and he bottles his wines unfiltered. The result of his hardwork is an impressive range of cuvees which showcase the style and finesse of top Sancerre.