Domaine Vacheron, Sancerre Blanc, Loire, France, 2024 (One of our Wines of the Year)

Overview of the Wine
The Vacherons are without question Sancerre’s leading winemaking clan. From the family’s pioneering work in identifying and exploiting the region’s top terroirs to their leading position in biodynamic viticulture today, there are few if any artisans in Sancerre as exacting or as respected.

Great-grandfather Maurice Vacheron tended a few vines back when Sancerre was but a stop on a village road. His son, Jean, was the first of the family to specialize in producing wine, paying particular attention to the influence of terroir on Sauvignon Blanc. Jean’s sons, Denis and Jean-Louis, solidified the Vacheron name in Sancerre, showcasing the family’s talent with not only Sauvignon Blanc but also Pinot Noir.

Today, Denis’ son, Jean-Laurent, and Jean-Louis’ son, Jean-Dominique, have taken the estate to a whole new level of quality, championing biodynamic viticulture and selecting singular vineyard parcels that the family has observed for generations (and planted with their own hands) to bottle as single-vineyard wines, with the goal of showcasing the heights that Sancerre can reach.

For more than two decades we’ve brought these world-class wines to the United States, and it has been exhilarating to watch the family’s vine-growing and winemaking expertise deepen with each vintage. To wit, the family has always made fine Sancerre; yet the current generation has pushed the estate to a level of quality that transcends appellation.

Demeter - Biodynamic.

Winemakers
Jean-Laurent & Jean-Dominique Vacheron

Grape / Blend
100% Sauvignon Blanc

Origin
Loire Valley, France

Tasting Notes
Aromas of grapefruit zest and gunflint. Flavors of lemons and limes, sea salt, crisp pears.

96 Points - Ian Blackburn
This storied house makes wines with high ethos - certified biodynamic (Demeter) and Certified Organic.  The wines go through natural ferments and some (20% of the cuvee) is from the higher rated single vineyards (we have some) that are highly allocated and rare.  These single vineyards see larger wood and add depth and richness to what I could declare is THE BENCHMARK producer in Sancerre.  The style is very dry, very clean, and leans into the flint and stoney notions of the soils.  The restraint is the nose is hypnotic and should be bottled as a perfume of citrus peel, Asian pear and young honeydew melon.  The stoney elements on this wine are right in balance and the elegance, early harvest, and high tier work in the vineyards is evident… the wine is so tender and balanced… with incredible length and nice intensity and reverberation… the complexity will continue to be added as time allows this wine to show off.  The finish is refined and if I didn’t have to work - I could drink this all day… a top wine of the year…. for me to recommend.   C 14.5, A 24.5, Body 23, Overall 34 - love this wine… 96 points.