Winemaker Notes
Pairs well with oysters, crayfish cooked in a court-bouillon, scallops in caramelized chicory, sautéed Sancerre chicken with mixed vegetables in butter, chitterlings sausage in mustard seed, fresh Chavignol goatsmilk cheese, blue and remade, fresh fruit topped with toasted cheese in Sancerre zabaglione, egg whites with vanilla custard.
Professional Ratings
-
Wine Enthusiast
Named after Alphonse Edmond, the father of present owner of Alphonse Mellot, this is the top wine from an always-impressive estate. Richness and concentration almost overwhelm the wine at this young stage, showing that it is set for aging. The acidity and biodynamically grown fruit of this powerful wine need to open up. Drink from 2020.
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The white-golden 2016 Sancerre Edmond is clear, fresh and fragrant on the coolish, flinty, pure, concentrated, refreshingly mineral and even iron-scented nose. From about 50- to 90-year-old vines on calcareous marl soils, this is a deep, pure, fresh, refined and elegant Sancerre with a tight mineral structure, yeasty layers, great intensity, almost Riesling-like acidity and finesse and a very long, complex, grippy, lip-smacking finish. This is a powerful and sustainable classic. The 2016 is rich and powerful but full of energy, grip and tension. A Sancerre worth waiting for. 13% alcohol. Tasted in November and January 2020. Rating: 94+
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.