Domaine de la Villaudiere Sancerre Blanc 2016
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Enjoy this characterful wine served at a cocktail buffet, or with fish, shellfish or poultry in a sauce.
Handed down through several generations, Domaine de la Villaudiere's 15 hectare family estate is surrounded by vineyards and overlooks the pretty village of Verdigny. This unique location offers stunning views of the famous Sancerre hill and its vineyards. Today Jean-Marie Reverdy has followed his calling and manages a flourishing Domaine de la Villaudiere with his wife, Catherine and their son, Guillaume. The youngest son, Baptiste also shares a love of wine growing and winemaking. Once he has finished his studies, he intends to play his part in the family business.
Patience, perseverance and precision are the bywords of all those involved in Domaine de la Villaudiere. From the management of the vineyards to the production of the wines, each individual perpetuates and builds on the work begun by previous generations. A blend of authenticity and modernity, these guiding principles are rigorously respected every day.
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.