Dominique Roger Sancerre Domaine du Carrou Blanc 2017
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Wine Spectator
Gooseberry, kiwifruit and lime pith notes race along together, ending with zip and clarity on the finish. Drink now through 2020.
The Roger family's roots in the Sancerre can be measured in centuries, with records showing the family residing in the region since the early 18th century. It was in 1950 that Dominique's father Maurice started Domaine du Carrou in one Sancerre's finest villages, Bue. This high altitude bastion of Sauvignon Blanc boasts all three of the regions famed soil types: terres blanches, caillotes, and an enviable percentage of silex.
In the vineyards, Dominique chooses to work the soils constantly, allowing the roots to extend into the limestone mother rock. Herbicides and pesticides are never used and the grapes are only hand harvested (a practice that is becoming rarer and rarer in Sancerre).
In the cellar, only indigenous yeasts are used and the wines are aged in tank to preserve the mineral cut of these privileged vineyards. The dedication put forth by the Roger family has vaulted to the upper echelons of the region. Domaine du Carrou is consistently ranked as one of the top producers in all of Sancerre by La Revue du Vin de France and other French publications.
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.