Domaine Jean-Paul Picard, Sancerre, Loire, France, 2023

Producer Profile

The Domaine Jean-Paul Picard et Fils is a family-run estate, with an incredibly long history, having been in the family since 1750.

Today they passionately cultivate 14 hectares of vines, all of which are situated on the slopes of Bué and are amongst the best sites in the region. Guided by the lessons of the past and their artisanal knowledge, they practice ‘lutte raisonnée’ to preserve soil health and insist on manual harvesting of the grapes. One of the peculiarities of the Domaine is that they have a multitude of small parcels, each with their own character, and vinified according to their terroir and position. Each are vinified using indigenous yeasts in their modern gravity-fed winery, to produce high-quality, expressive wines, full of complexity.

Viticulture

From clay and limestone soils, the yield is around 55hl/ha from 30 year old vines which are harvested by hand. Picard practices Lutte raisonnée, literally “reasoned fight” (in French), or “supervised control” (in English), regarded as a pragmatic approach to farming, where chemical treatments are used only when absolutely necessary. Biodiversity in the vineyards is encouraged through the planting of cover crops, rigorous plowing of the soils, and the use of manures and natural composts to fertilize the vines.

Winemaking

Hand picked grapes undergo a gentle pneumatic pressing and cold racking and fermented with natural yeast. Aged sur lie for 3 to 4 months minimum in an Inox Vat.

Oak Ageing

No oak ageing

Tasting Note

Pale gold in colour, the wine opens with bright aromatic notes of exotic fruit and citrus, with subtle hints of minerality and orange blossom. On the palate the wine is full bodied and balanced with a bright crisp finish.

Food Matching

A classic match for oysters and seafood or fresh goat cheese.