Lucien Crochet Le Chene Sancerre 2011
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Parker
Robert
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Crochet’s 2011 Sancerre Le Chene – incorporating, as usual, a high percentage of fruit from the Chene Marchand – needed a shaking to reveal its generous scents and juicy profusion of lime, pineapple, and honeydew, here mingled with chalk and salt that add interest and saliva-inducing savor, going beyond what one experiences in the corresponding Croix du Roy. And while the present wine is expansive and exceedingly ripe, there is cut and clarity of a sort rare for its vintage, which perfectly suites the metaphorically cooling effect of herbal essences as they rush in to join the fruits and minerals in a long finishing colloquy.
Range: 90-92
Other Vintages
2012-
Parker
Robert
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Parker
Robert
Lucien Crochet expanded the estate over the last thirty years to its current surface area of 38 hectares. His son, Gilles, now runs the estate. 29 hectares are planted with Sauvignon Blanc. It is with these grapes that they produce their range of white wines. The remaining 9 hectares are planted with Pinot Noir which go into the making of the red and rosé wines.
Most of Lucien Crochet's vineyards are located within the village of Bué, with some in the neighbouring communes of Sancerre, Crézancy and Vinon. The soil and subsoil are clay-limestone based and date back to the Oxfordian and Kimmeridgian stages.
Most of the vines face south, south-west and south-east, giving the grapes maximum exposure to the summer sun.
Capable of a vast array of styles, Sauvignon Blanc is a crisp, refreshing variety that equally reflects both terroir and varietal character. Though it can vary depending on where it is grown, a couple of commonalities always exist—namely, zesty acidity and intense aromatics. This variety is of French provenance. Somm Secret—Along with Cabernet Franc, Sauvignon Blanc is a proud parent of Cabernet Sauvignon. That green bell pepper aroma that all three varieties share is no coincidence—it comes from a high concentration of pyrazines (herbaceous aromatic compounds) inherent to each member of the family.
Marked by its charming hilltop village in the easternmost territory of the Loire, Sancerre is famous for its racy, vivacious, citrus-dominant Sauvignon blanc. Its enormous popularity in 1970s French bistros led to its success as the go-to restaurant white around the globe in the 1980s.
While the region claims a continental climate, noted for short, hot summers and long, cold winters, variations in topography—rolling hills and steep slopes from about 600 to 1,300 feet in elevation—with great soil variations, contribute the variations in character in Sancerre Sauvignon blancs.
In the western part of the appellation, clay and limestone soils with Kimmeridgean marne, especially in Chavignol, produce powerful wines. Moving closer to the actual town of Sancerre, soils are gravel and limestone, producing especially delicate wines. Flint (silex) soils close to the village produce particularly perfumed and age-worthy wines.
About ten percent of the wines claiming the Sancerre appellation name are fresh and light red wines made from Pinot noir and to a lesser extent, rosés. While not typically exported in large amounts, they are well-made and attract a loyal French following.