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2012 Sancerre “Cuvée Ortus”
Hippolyte ReverdyThe rarest of the Reverdy cuvées, Ortus was really an invention at the urging of Kermit, who has a fondness for Sauvignon with full malolactic fermentation, aged in wood, bottled unfiltered, generally treated like a white Burgundy. Kermit once told me the story of how Didier Dagueneau asked him which barrel in his cellar was Kermit’s favorite after he had tasted them all, and Kermit picked the barrel that Didier not so fondly referred to as “the mistake” (that is, the only one that did its malo). You have probably never imagined that Sauvignon could taste like this. Serve it as you would a Chardonnay from Burgundy, grandly.
—Dixon Brooke
Wine Type: | white |
Vintage: | 2012 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | Sauvignon Blanc |
Appellation: | Sancerre |
Country: | France |
Region: | Loire |
Producer: | Domaine Hippolyte Reverdy |
Soil: | Clay, Kimmeridgian Limestone |
Farming: | Lutte Raisonnée |
Alcohol: | 12.5% |
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About The Producer
Domaine Hippolyte Reverdy
About The Region
Loire
The defining feature of the Loire Valley, not surprisingly, is the Loire River. As the longest river in France, spanning more than 600 miles, this river connects seemingly disparate wine regions. Why else would Sancerre, with its Kimmeridgian limestone terroir be connected to Muscadet, an appellation that is 250 miles away?
Secondary in relevance to the historical, climatic, environmental, and cultural importance of the river are the wines and châteaux of the Jardin de la France. The kings and nobility of France built many hundreds of châteaux in the Loire but wine preceded the arrival of the noblesse and has since out-lived them as well.
Diversity abounds in the Loire. The aforementioned Kimmderidgian limestone of Sancerre is also found in Chablis. Chinon, Bourgueil, and Saumur boast the presence of tuffeau, a type of limestone unique to the Loire that has a yellowish tinge and a chalky texture. Savennières has schist, while Muscadet has volcanic, granite, and serpentinite based soils. In addition to geologic diversity, many, grape varieties are grown there too: Cabernet Franc, Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, and Melon de Bourgogne are most prevalent, but (to name a few) Pinot Gris, Grolleau, Pinot Noir, Pineau d’Aunis, and Folle Blanche are also planted. These myriad of viticultural influences leads to the high quality production of every type of wine: red, white, rosé, sparkling, and dessert.
Like the Rhône and Provence, some of Kermit’s first imports came from the Loire, most notably the wines of Charles Joguet and Château d’Epiré—two producers who are featured in Kermit’s book Adventures on the Wine Route and with whom we still work today.
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2021 Vin de France Blanc “Centenaire”
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2022 Chinon “Les Granges”
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2020 Saumur Champigny “Outre Terre”
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2019 Vouvray “Bois Guyon”
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2020 Vin de France Rosé Grolleau/Cabernet Franc “Les Arceaux”
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2020 Saumur Champigny “La Marginale”
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2022 Muscadet Sèvre et Maine Sur Lie
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Kermit once said...
Kermit once said...
I want you to realize once and for all: Even the winemaker does not know what aging is going to do to a new vintage; Robert Parker does not know; I do not know. We all make educated (hopefully) guesses about what the future will bring, but guesses they are. And one of the pleasures of a wine cellar is the opportunity it provides for you to witness the evolution of your various selections. Living wines have ups and downs just as people do, periods of glory and dog days, too. If wine did not remind me of real life, I would not care about it so much.
Inspiring Thirst, page 171