2015 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru “Les Chalumaux”Comtesse de Chérisey
France | Burgundy
$120
Producers
A winemaking tradition as long as France’s is bound to produce a few historic vineyard sites here and there. But when some rosy-cheeked monk or abbot—the wine bloggers of their age—singles out a specific plot, you know you have something truly special. In his 1777 history of Sancerre, the abbot Poupart wrote that “the Bouffants hillside is one of the best I know in our Sancerre area.” Judging by the contents of Roger Neveu’s 2018 Sancerre Côtes des Embouffants—a fresh-cut-grass-and-citrus-inflected Sauvignon Blanc of incredible precision—that statement remains true to this day.
—Dustin Soiseth
Wine Type: | white |
Vintage: | 2019 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | Sauvignon Blanc |
Appellation: | Sancerre |
Country: | France |
Region: | Loire |
Producer: | Domaine Roger Neveu |
Winemaker: | Éric & Jean-Philippe Neveu |
Vineyard: | 20 years average, 18 ha |
Soil: | Limestone |
Aging: | Wine aged for 3 months before first racking, aged for 8 to 12 months in total |
Farming: | Lutte Raisonnée |
Alcohol: | 13% |
Bernard Baudry France | Loire | Chinon
Éric Chevalier France | Loire | Muscadet Côtes de Grand Lieu
Champalou France | Loire | Vouvray
Domaine Michel Brégeon France | Loire | Muscadet Sèvre et Maine
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire | Vouvray
Thierry Germain France | Loire | Saumur
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.
Thierry Germain France | Loire | Saumur-Champigny
Domaine Michel Brégeon France | Loire | Muscadet
Thierry Germain France | Loire | Saumur
Pascal Janvier France | Loire | Jasnières
Domaine de la Chanteleuserie France | Loire | Bourgueil
Thierry Germain France | Loire | Saumur
Thierry Germain France | Loire | Saumur-Champigny
Thierry Germain France | Loire | Saumur
Charles Joguet France | Loire | Chinon
Domaine Michel Brégeon France | Loire | Muscadet Sèvre et Maine
Charles Joguet France | Loire | Chinon
Thierry Germain France | Loire | Saumur-Champigny
You don’t have to be rich to cellar a great wine.
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