Winemaker Notes
This Claude Riffault Sancerre Blanc Les Chasseignes expresses itself on its finesse of fruit. On the palate, the limestone minerality gives it length and persistence.
Serve this wine as an aperitif or with grilled fish.
Professional Ratings
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2019 Sancerre Les Chasseignes is a picture-book Sancerre from gravelly limestone soils ("calcaire de caillottes") that assembles the fruit from 11 east- and southeast-facing parcels at 275 meters in altitude. Aged on the lees for 14 months in oak, it opens with a clear, bright yet deep, intense and concentrated bouquet of crushed stones, lemon oil and a hint of fresh oak that disappears with air. Silky, round and very elegant on the palate, this is a full-bodied, wide, intense and juicy yet pure and stimulating Sancerre with remarkable finesse and lingering salinity. The long and complex finish reveals concentration, very fine tannins and the mouthwatering taste of crushed limestones. Refreshing lime and lemon notes on the aftertaste. A gorgeous wine with chalky veins and the vibration of great terroir.
Rating: 93+
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.