It may perhaps seem strange that the wine regions with easiest access to the best oak in France (the forests of the Nevers, Allier and Tronçais are all in the upper Loire) are not great users of it, but grapes have to be really quite ripe before their fermented juice can take the weight of an oak barrel.Īnother factor may be the relative complication of wine names and identities here. Most of the whites here are made to the recipe of trapping the fruit in the bottle as early as possible without exposing them to new wood although dry, barrel-fermented Chenin Blanc is a growing phenomenon. Long, hot summers have traditionally been the exception, so relatively few of the reds conform to the usual expectation of high density, alcohol, tannin and obvious oak ageing although climate change and better vineyard management are contributing to riper versions of Cabernet Franc. Perhaps it's because at this northerly limit of commercially viable viticulture the grapes have had to struggle to ripen, at least until global warming kicked in, so the wines' hallmark is relatively high acidity. Silex is also found across the Loire River in Pouilly-Fumé, where Didier Dagueneau produces his ‘ Silex’ named after the soil it grows in. Les Romains is a particularly cherished vineyard to look for.Outside northern France, the Loire, with the exception of Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé, has tended to be overlooked by modern wine enthusiasts. These are the wines with the most flinty and smoky notes. ![]() Flint absorbs heat, ripening the grapes more rapidly. Perhaps the most famous of the Sancerre soils are those of Silex. Silicon dioxide goes through chemical changes becoming hard and sharp. So is the cru of Chavignol, now more known for goat cheese than wine-perhaps the reason Sancerre and cheese make such a charming pairing. Try Francois Cotat’s offerings to get a taste for it. Cul de Beaujeu is another cru to look for. So, where are the best Sancerre wines to be found? For a treat from Terres Blanches’ renowned vineyard of Côte des Monts Damnès look to producers Pascal Cotat and Didier Dagueneau. In contrast to wines from Caillottes, the Terres Blanches wines are ones of power and structure. It refers to the era 150-157 million years ago in the Upper Jurassic Epoch formed from fossilized oyster shells. Read our ‘ Earth’ article on Chablis to find out more about Kimmeridgian marl. To the far west of the region are the Terres Blanches, made of clay, limestone and Kimmeridgian marl: the same soil found in Chablis. They are dainty but aromatic and built more for immediate consumption rather than aging. There are three main types of soils in Sancerre, all based around sedimentary soils, but of different types that can yield surprisingly different wines.Ĭaillottes, consisting of shallow of gravel over limestone, produces the most delicate of wines. Let's take a closer look at the best Sancerre wines and the different styles out there. ![]() While known for white wine, Sancerre also makes reds and rosé from the Pinot Noir grape. With age they can acquire smoky notes that only up their intrigue factor. Some of the most beguiling Sauvignon Blancs, tasting of elderflower and gooseberry are made there. ![]() The popularity of Sancerre, a region in the Central Vineyards of the Loire Valley, has skyrocketed in the last decade or so and with good reason.
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