Domaine François Crochet, Sancerre Blanc, Loire, France, 2023

Producer Profile

To the southwest of the town of Sancerre, lies the tiny commune of Bué. Here you find François Crochet single handedly managing his 10 hectares.

Doing much of the work in the vineyards himself, he is committed to hand harvesting to help maintain the quality of the resulting wine. Unable to make enough wine to keep pace with demand these wines are some of the most precise and refined Sancerres you will ever get to taste.

Viticulture

This wine is a selection from Sauvignon blanc vines planted on the three types of soil found throughout the Appellation, composed of 80 % chalky soil – locally known as “caillottes”, 10% clay chalky soil and 10% flint. These vines are around 25 years old and the parcels have been certified organic and biodynamic farming since 2017. A natural grass cover is left to develop around some vines depending on the soil and the slope.

Winemaking

Whole grape pressing is combined with a sequential program to allow a very gentle extraction of the juice. After a static settling period the juice is racked and the alcoholic fermentation takes place for 3 to 4 weeks, using natural yeasts. When complete the wine is matured on its fine lees for 6 months in stainless steel. Then the wine is filtered on cellulose plates before bottling.

Tasting Note

Fresh, pure and elegant with blackcurrant leaf and gooseberry on the nose. This is textbook Sancerre which has fruit and minerality in perfect proportions. Fresh citrus fruit acidity supports stony fruit and minerality on the palate. The wines from Francois and Carine Crochet are some of the most precise and refined Sancerre around. With power and elegance and purity this wine really stands out.

Food Matching

The crisp acidity and minerality makes this an excellent choice to accompany shellfish and seafood dishes