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The Other Sancerre
The Other Sancerre
by Tom Wolf by Tom Wolf
2022 Sancerre Rouge
2022 Sancerre Rouge



Julie Guiard
Domaine Hippolyte Reverdy France | Loire | Sancerre
If you have never tried a red wine from Sancerre, there is a likely explanation: only 10–20% of the wines from that appellation are red, even though the Sancerrois have been cultivating and vinifying Pinot Noir for centuries! A longtime fan of Sancerre rouge, Kermit asked vigneron Hippolyte Reverdy’s son Michel back in the ’80s to try aging his small amount of Pinot Noir in the traditional demi-muids and bottling it unfiltered. For a brief time, Michel agreed to run this experiment with the cuvées we imported while continuing to filter his red wine for other customers. Eventually, though, those clients tasted our unfiltered cuvée and requested this style for themselves too, so in 2003, Michel finally decided to bottle all of his reds unfiltered!
Today, Michel’s niece Julie Guiard runs the show and makes reds that are better than ever. One whiff of this lifted and zesty Pinot Noir and you know you’re not in Burgundy. Pure, classy fruit sings tenor without much of the earthy bass that often makes itself heard in Bourgogne rouge. This is Pinot Noir that’s not for pondering, but for pure pleasure and refreshment!



Julie Guiard
Wine Type: | red |
Vintage: | 2022 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | Pinot Noir |
Appellation: | Sancerre |
Country: | France |
Region: | Loire |
Producer: | Domaine Hippolyte Reverdy |
Winemaker: | Julie Guiard |
Vineyard: | 30 years average, 3 ha |
Soil: | Siliceous Clay, Gravelly limestone |
Aging: | Wine is racked to 400-L barrels, where it completes malolactic fermentation and ages for one year until bottling |
Farming: | Lutte Raisonnée |
Alcohol: | 13.5% |
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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 Kimmeridgian 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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Vintage Chart Mentality

Vintage Chart Mentality
Trust the great winemakers, trust the great vineyards. Your wine merchant might even be trustworthy. In the long run, that vintage strip may be the least important guide to quality on your bottle of wine.—Kermit Lynch