When you open a bottle of Sancerre nowadays, you generally know what to expect: a cornucopia of fragrant citrus and gooseberry, delicate floral nuances, a flinty mineral note, and a bracing finish that leaves you salivating for more. Fermentation and aging tend to take place in stainless steel but this was not always the norm in Sancerre. According to Kermit, when he began visiting the picturesque Loire village in the 1970s, “Stainless was already pretty rampant. But there was a lot of wood, too, of all sizes. Then the wood was phased out in almost all the cellars…”
      So what did Sancerre taste like before the zippy, clean, ultra-precise Sancerres we are accustomed to?
      Since taking over his family’s domaine, the ambitious Simon Chotard offers a glimpse. In addition to an entry-level Sancerre that captures the totality of Sauvignon Blanc’s thirst-quenching, mouth-watering properties, Simon is producing smaller batches that recall the olden days of this great appellation. Tasting this compelling trio of 2023s will take you on a journey several decades back to when times and wines were much different than today.
      Les Cris is a single-vineyard Sauvignon Blanc that is fermented and aged in acacia barrels. Fruit shines through with brilliant purity while the wine acquires more breadth relative to one aged in stainless steel. Les Cris has a subtle honeyed side, with an invigorating aroma of key lime, zingy acidity, and an almost salty, chalky finish, this multi-dimensional beauty takes the Sancerre we know to a whole new level.
      Named for Simon’s grandfather, great-uncle, and grandmother, Marcel Henri Denise comes from some of the domaine’s oldest vines, which Marcel and Henri planted in the mid-1900s. Vinified and aged one year in foudres—followed by six months in stainless—it combines the chiseled mineral structure imparted by Kimmeridgian limestone with a subtle kiss of wood and plenty of texture on the finale.
      Finally, the Sancerre rouge “Chant de l’Archet” is another blast from the past. Sauvignon Blanc became the region’s most widely planted grape in the aftermath of phylloxera, but Sancerre had previously been renowned for its Pinot Noir. A slow, cold ferment and long élevage in neutral oak help showcase the elegance, dark fruit, and spiced nose of this grand and profound Pinot.