Winemaker Notes
Sourced from several plots, all situated in the lieu-dit of Les Boucauds, this cuvée represents close to 50% of the Sauvignon Blanc planted on the estate. Entirely from Terres Blanches soils – marls and clays over Kimmeridgian limestone – this wine represents a pure expression of this site as well as the deft winemaking of Stéphane Riffault.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Stephane Riffault's 2020 Sancerre Les Boucauds was the first wine bottled from this vintage at this steep-rising domaine in Sury-en-Vaux. The wine is clear, fresh and intense on the elegant and finely spicy/mineral nose. The palate is rich, intense and powerful but also refined and elegant, and with 14% stated alcohol, this Sancerre finishes with warmth, grip, good and tensioned length as well as mineral and citric freshness. Natural cork. Tasted in January 2022. Best After 2022
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.