Description

ABOUT THE PRODUCER:
The domain is located five kilometres south of Sancerre in Thauvenay and was established by Serge Laloue in the 1960s. Christine and her brother Franck have continued their father’s work since the 1990s and Clément, Franck’s son, recently joined the domain following his viticulture studies. The estate revolves around an environmentally responsible approach with meticulous work in the vineyards to respect the natural balance of the vines and obtain the highest quality grapes. In 2019, the domain started the conversion to organic farming, a natural progression as their farming methods were already very close to organic. The first certified organic vintage will be 2023. The domain is HVE certified, a complementary certification recognising environmental biodiversity and natural resource management.

ABOUT THE VINEYARD:
The grapes come from a three hectare estate vineyard, where the vines have an average age of 40 years, producing low yields of concentrated fruit. The vines face a south-easterly orientation, maximising exposure to the sun to assist ripening of the berries. The soils are ‘silex’, a flinty clay which produces elegant wines with distinctive graphite and mineral characters. The vineyard is currently in conversion to organic status; the farming methods used over many years have followed these principles. Vineyard management techniques include ploughing the soil instead of using herbicides, growing cover crops between the rows of vines and sexual confusion of predators, to maintain the health of the vines and the biodiversity of the environment.

THE WINEMAKING PROCESS:
The grapes were carefully selected and gently pressed before the must was vinified in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks. Fermentation took place with selected yeasts and once fermentation was complete, the wine was matured on its fine lees 10 months, with lees stirring imparting texture and subtle complexity. The cuvée was made without the influence of oak, to showcase the purity of fruit and express the flinty notes of the Silex soils.

OUR TASTING NOTES:
Intense aromas of smoky graphite and mineral notes of oyster shell are complemented by zesty orange peel and Mirabelle plum. This fresh, supple cuvée delivers concentrated citrus flavours through to a bright and uplifting mineral finish.

GRAPE VARIETY:
Sauvignon Blanc 100%.

AWARDS:
• 17.5 Points, Jancis Robinson, 2024