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2024 Sancerre
Domaine Roger Neveu
Sancerre undoubtedly represents one of the world’s best areas for growing Sauvignon Blanc, but even here, site plays paramount importance. The sleepy town, just west of the Loire River, is surrounded by gently rolling hills, with tidy vineyard rows covering every conceivable surface save the occasional hilltop village.
However, not all vineyards are created equal: differences in exposure, slope, and altitude—along with minor variations in soil type—give drastically distinct wines from one plot to the next. The Neveu family is fortunate to own land in the Clos des Bouffants, an unusually steep parcel with a very poor, thin soil composed of rocky limestone. Facing due south, the Sauvignon here receives generous sunshine to produce an ample, concentrated wine.
True to its terroir, it possesses striking nerve and minerality that underscore the mouthfilling citrus flavors. This is serious Sancerre made by a family whose roots in the region date back to the twelfth century.
For an exquisite pairing, try Chris Lee’s recipe for Dungeness crab with linguine.
—Anthony Lynch
| Wine Type: | white |
| Vintage: | 2024 |
| 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% |
More from this Producer or Region
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About The Producer
Domaine Roger Neveu
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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2024 Gros-Plant du Pays Nantais
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2024 Vin de France Rosé Brut “Elle est pas bulle la vie?”
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2024 Jasnières “Cuvée du Silex”
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2024 Chardonnay
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2019 Chinon “Clos du Chêne Vert”
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2023 Saumur Mousseux “Bulles de Roche”
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2021 Saumur Blanc “Terres”
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2021 Vin de France Blanc “Chenin Centenaire”
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2017 Jasnières “Chant de Vigne”
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Kermit once said...
Kermit once said...
Let the brett nerds retire into protective bubbles, and whenever they thirst for wine it can be passed in to them through a sterile filter. Those of us on the outside can continue to enjoy complex, natural, living wines.
Inspiring Thirst, page 236