September 22, 2016 Monica Yu

Sincerely Sancerre

Sancerre Loire Valley

What's not to like about Sancerre? Pronounced as "SAN-SER", this French wine is comprised of entirely 100% Sauvignon Blanc. Popular in Paris bistro and bars, Sancerre is lively, food friendly and easy to pronounce. Often in top demand in high-end restaurants, many sommeliers find it hard to keep it on the shelves.

In the extreme Eastern region of the Loire Valley as the river turns Southwest, Sancerre can be described as an unspoiled landscape of medieval villages and sharply-inclined chalky hills. The vineyards and soil can be closely identified to Champagne or Chablis. The same Kimmeridgean chalk soil that runs from the Marne in Champagne and Chablis is found here. The 16 villages that make up Sancerre have unique soils such as flint, gravel, chalk and limestone. Each soil type gives Sauvignon Blanc a unique character. It is this unique soil and the winegrower's dedication to producing world class Sauvignon Blanc that makes Sancerre the best Sauvignon Blanc wine region in the world.

Cool climate wine regions such as Sancerre and the rest of the Loire Valley tends to rely on mother nature to determine the vintage. 2015 was a good vintage throughout France, however due to weather conditions in Sancerre, yields are lower than average. In order to keep the quality and using the best fruit possible, many producers had to reduce the yield. It will be difficult to find 2015 vintage of good quality on the market. Plume Ridge Bottle Shop has been able to secure a small lot of Sancerre exclusively for the U.S.

Tresors de Loire Sancerre is our great find in the Loire Valley. Hand harvested and crafted, Tresors' Sancerre is aged in stainless steel on the lees for 6 months to preserve freshness and fruit characteristic. Unlike New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc which tends to be pronounced on the nose with ripe fruit, this Sancerre has a delicate nose of classic Sauvignon notes: grass, gooseberry and acacia. The elegance carries on to the palate and offers flavors of citrus fruit, crisp acidity, minerality and freshness. This wine calls for pairing with creamy goat cheese and our Honeynut Squash recipe.

Sauvignon Blanc maybe a growing hot category in the US right now, however Sancerre has traditionally been the most sought after traditional appellation for Sauvignon Blanc. Sancerre serves as the historic benchmark for Sauvignon Blanc produced in the old and new world. Therefore it is important to try Tresors de Loire Sancerre to know what a historic and traditional Sauvignon Blanc should taste like. Feel free to compare it to your new world finds.

Sincerely Sancerre.

Contributed by Monica Yu, Assistant Wine Buyer for Plume Ridge Bottle Shop.