Winemaker Notes
Pale gold yellow in color with light green sheen - brilliant, bright and clear - a young honest appearance. A rich majestic nose. Honey, vanilla, lemon, brioche etc., follow each other as if in a daydream, all orchestrated through a new woody tone. Opening it makes it welcoming and tender with crisp plants revealing aniseed, menthol, licorice and spices.
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 goats milk cheese, blue and remade, fresh fruit topped with toasted cheese in Sancerre zabaglione, egg whites with vanilla custard.
Professional Ratings
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Vinous
The 2020 Cuvée Edmond hails from a seven hectare, south-west-facing parcel sitting on kimmeridgian marl. Partially fermented in barrel and partially in wooden tanks, this is not Sauvignon as you know it - it is a wine led by texture not aromatics. Expect a succulent and silky Sancerre that is rich and concentrated. There's a cloud of nectarine fruit that blossoms in the mouth before concluding with an almost tannic structure. The only minus is that the alcohol feels a little warm on the finish, detracting from the pleasure at the end, which is reflected in my score. Otherwise, outstanding.
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.