The Sancerre vineyard is said to date back to ancient times according to testimonies of historical personalities such as Pliny the Elder. It was not until the 12th century that Sancerre experienced a significant growth thanks to the monks of Saint-Satur and the Counts of Sancerre. Originally mainly planted with Pinot Noir, the vineyard was totally destroyed at the end of the 19th century by phylloxera (a parasite affecting vine roots).
This is how Sauvignon Blanc, especially well suited to the Sancerre climate, found its perfect location and first-class terroir.
Today, Sauvignon Blanc is the king varietal of the most famous appellation in the Centre-Loire wine region.
The Sancerre appellation covers about 3,000 hectares in the North-East of the Cher department. It spreads over 14 villages (Bannay, Bué, Crézancy en Sancerre, Menetou-Râtel, Montigny, Saint-Satur, Sainte-Gemme, Sancerre, Sury-en-Vaux, Thauvenay, Veaugues, Verdigny and Vinon) and 3 hamlets (Amigny , Chavignol and Maimbray) around the famous ‘Piton de Sancerre’ (the village hilltop).
There are three types of soil within this unique terroir.
In the Western part can be found the ‘Terres Blanches’ (white soils), the kingdom of clay-limestone marls from the Kimmeridgian age, which give seductive and full wines.
In the Center are located very stony hills (mainly limestone) called ‘Caillottes’ (small stones), bringing a powerful mineral character to the wines.
And, in the East, the flint stone soils, ‘Terres de Silex’, where wines feature a pronounced mineral gun-flint note.
Sauvignon Blanc is the emblematic grape variety of the appellation created in 1936 and has found its favorite soils here: in Sancerre, this is the king varietal! It gives fresh, aromatic, expressive white wines with aromas of citrus and exotic fruits combined with a lovely mineral note, the typical expression of the Sancerre Terroir.
Pinot Noir has been the sole Red and Rosé varietal since the Appellation creation in 1959. Sancerre Red wines highlight the qualities of Pinot Noir: its elegance and delicate flavors of red and black berries on the palate. As for the Sancerre Rosé wines, they are fresh and delicious, generous and refreshing, with floral and red berries notes. These are gastronomic wines.
