A hill above the Loire
Sancerre stretches across fourteen communes in the Cher, on the left bank of the Loire, east of Bourges. The vineyard occupies often very steep hillsides — sometimes with a gradient of more than 50% — between 180 and 350 metres in altitude, around the Sancerre hilltop and the famous hamlet of Chavignol. White wine dominates by far, complemented by reds and rosés made from pinot noir.
The terroir: three soils, three styles
Sancerre's strength lies in its geology, which reads from west to east in three broad families. The 'terres blanches' are Kimmeridgian clay-limestone marls — the same as in Chablis — which yield powerful, age-worthy wines. The 'caillottes', hard, very stony limestone soils, produce fine, early-drinking whites, all citrus.
Finally, to the east, silica-rich soils containing flint (the 'chailloux') give the wines a taut minerality and that characteristic gunflint note. This mosaic, on steep, well-exposed hillsides, explains the diversity of Sancerre wines from one lieu-dit to another.
The style of the wines
Sancerre blanc is the archetype of the great sauvignon: pale robe, nose of citrus, blackcurrant bud and white flowers, a lively, saline palate. It is best enjoyed young, for its brightness, though the terres blanches cuvées reward ageing. The reds and rosés from pinot noir, more discreet, charm with their fruit and freshness — an asset in a warming climate.