Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Vinous
The 2022 Les Boucauds sashays around the mouth. It is rich and rounded, possibly due to the deep clays on this clay limestone with a ripe, almost tropical aromatic profile offering melon, pear and pineapple alongside white flowers. A rather satisfying style that remains in barrel
Barrel Sample: 92-94
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2022 Sancerre Les Boucauds reveals a delicate, pure bouquet of pear, peach, spring flowers, spices and menthol, followed by a moderately weighted, textured and layered palate with bright acids, a lively, fleshy core of fruit and a long, ethereal, mineral-laced finish enhanced by a saline aftertaste. This is a gorgeous rendition of the eponymous parcel composed of clay, limestone and marls.
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Wine Spectator
Pretty floral high tones introduce this juicy, zesty white, powered by a vivid beam of lime peel acidity. Good inner density and a vein of flint make for great structure and poise. Salt and smoke notes linger, with a hint of buttercream giving the finish a bit of richness. Drink now through 2027. 3,000 cases made, 800 cases imported.
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.