Winemaker Notes
#46 Wine Spectator Top 100 of 2018
“Les Baronnes” is typical of the Sancerre appellation and the Domaine Henri Bourgeois style. Subtle yet powerful, its persistence and harmony find their origin in the exposition and quality of the terroir. Crispy, and fruity this wine has some lime, apple and gun flint aromas balanced by ripe tropical and yellow orchard fruits.
A delight at the beginning of the meal, “Les Baronnes” is also an excellent companion to fish dishes such as scallops with mango emulsion or Roll of bass in curry. The famous Crottin de Chavignol goat cheese, produced in the same region, is the perfect match
Professional Ratings
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Decanter
Intense aromatics of white flowers, flint and lime. Full and rich with ripe citrus, pine needle and smoky minerality. Lovely concentration with a refreshing, long finish.
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Wine Spectator
Lively, with bright lemon curd, gooseberry, thyme and lime pith notes. The bright finis has mouthwatering cut thanks to a light chalky echo. Top 100 Wine Of 2018
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.