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.

THE VINTAGE:
2022 was an excellent vintage that was both sunny and balanced. The climatic hazards generally spared the pivotal moments of the vine’s growth, with the historically dry summer interrupted by some rare, but abundant, rainfall, which helped to refresh the vines. The harvest started with the vines and fruit in impeccable health combined with good volume and quality.

ABOUT THE VINEYARD:
The grapes are grown in 0.6 hectares of vineyard within the estate, from vines with an average age of 40 years. The vines face a south-easterly orientation, maximising exposure to the sun to assist ripening of the berries. The soils are predominantly calcareous clay, which typically has a high limestone content, producing elegant and textured wines with distinctive minerality. The vineyard is currently in conversion to organic status, a natural progression for the Laloue family as the farming methods used over many years have followed these principles. The estate has been HVE certified for sustainable viticulture since 2020, with vineyard management techniques including 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 concrete eggs. The egg shape helps to keep the liquid constantly in motion, so the temperature is more consistent and the lees remain in suspension. The resulting wine achieves a greater character and volume on the palate. Fermentation took place with selected yeasts and once fermentation was complete, the wine was matured on its lees in concrete eggs and amphorae for 10 months.

OUR TASTING NOTES:
A textured and salivating expression of Sancerre, with fresh and intense notes of exotic fruit, boxwood and grapefruit, underpinned by rich and spicy citrus notes offering opulence. Lovely rounded texture on the palate is beautifully framed by mineral freshness.

GRAPE VARIETY:
Sauvignon Blanc 100%.