Finding a classy, mineral-rich wine that typifies great Sancerre for well under $30 is a tough order to fulfill, but eight (going on nine) generations of the Girault family have done it with their spectacular “Le Grand Moulin.”
Hands-on sustainable farming in the famed hamlet of Bué is juxtaposed with hands-off natural winemaking in their cellar in order to preserve Sancerre’s hallowed Kimmeridgian imprint. It brilliantly erupts with crushed stone minerality, piquant citrus fruits, and refreshing acidity, all of which leaves you craving another sip. Amazingly, despite generations of expertise and acquisition, this family-run estate still sits at 12 total hectares, but this slow growth isn’t accidental. The vines they own are part of some of the region’s most prized sites—“Chêne Marchand” and “Grand Chemarin” for instance. Furthermore, which you wouldn’t know unless we explicitly told you, this limited production of “Le Grand Moulin” differs from the few others circulating around America: Girault bottles his wines at different intervals and their importer had the foresight to “wait it out” until the third batch was bottled in June of this year. What does that mean for you? More integration, texture, and expressiveness...for the same price! That’s a lot to chew for $26!
Sancerre is the main stomping ground for any true Sauvignon Blanc lover, but it isn’t fair to call it a catch-all appellation: It depends where you are stomping! The appellation actually has three main soil types—terres blanches, silex, and caillottes—each of which expresses its own inimitable personality. Today, we are focused on the outskirts of Bué, which is rich in terres blanches, appropriately named for the white appearance of its chalky calcareous clay soils, derived from Kimmeridgian limestone.
The hamlet of Bué is also where you’ll find Girault’s modest domaine, where they make both their wines and beds. Being this connected to winemaking also means the family pours their heart and soul into treating their limited number of vines with respect. Absolutely zero synthetics are used, the soils are regularly plowed, and leaves are thinned in order to keep the grapes dry and accessible to the sun. For “Le Grand Moulin,” which is a blend of their prized vineyard sites, only a handful of their total acres are selected. After hand harvesting, the grapes are sorted and quickly, yet gently, pressed to extract the purest, freshest Sauvignon Blanc juice. Fermentation is only carried out with ambient yeasts, found on the grapes and in the air itself, in stainless steel tanks. The resulting wine then matures on its lees until bottling, and this batch saw the longest aging of all. It was bottled without fining in late June.
Girault’s 2017 “Le Grand Moulin” shines a bright straw-yellow in the glass with vivid green reflections glinting out to the clear-tipped rim. If you like classic Sancerre without the bells and whistles, pay attention: It oozes with crushed rock minerality on the nose and is underscored by a beautiful presence of salted lemon, lime blossoms, tangerine zest, fresh greens, acacia, honeysuckle, passionfruit, gooseberry, and a hint of crushed oyster shell—a signature Chablisienne note that many of the greatest Sancerres share. The palate is full of mineral verve and delicately ripe citrus fruits that are ramped up by a constant energetic stream of acidity. It’s a bottle that any white wine lover could and should make room for in their fridge. “Le Grand Moulin” is a crisp and clean wine that I would call humble, meaning it doesn’t need to show off because its spot-on expression of origin speaks for itself after a quick 30-45 minute decant. Grab yourself a case, drink a couple over the winter, and then unleash the rest when “short-sleeves” weather returns. Whether it’s now or then, pair it next to a steamed fish (sole will work perfectly) with chive and lemongrass butter. How’s that sound for a pick-me-up on a dreary day? Cheers!
