“Le Chemin Blanc” means “the white path,” and your boots will crunch on one as you walk the rows in Franck and Betty Millet’s vineyards in Sancerre. Chalk-white limestone soils are a signature feature of their 22 hectares in the village of Bué—and the character these soils impart is unmistakable in their aptly named Sancerre Blanc.

Our enthusiasm for the 2017 vintage of this wine (easily one of the best Sancerre values I’ve seen) was matched by that of our subscribers, so when the more-powerful 2018 became available, we had to grab it. There are a few Sancerre producers we feature regularly at SommSelect—Domaine Vacheron, Lucien Crochet, Gitton Père et Fils—and if the Millets keep delivering at this level, they are sure to join those others in the elite ranks. When we offered Millet’s ’17, I asserted that Sancerre is a “world-class white wine by any measure, though its prices rarely reflect that.” Well, I double down on that sentiment with this 2018: It’s pitch-perfect Sancerre, shot through with the kind of Chablisienne minerality that makes Sauvignon Blanc from here different from any other in the world. This one is priced to be a staple of your rotation for years to come, so if you missed it the last time, get onboard!

Although 2017 was itself an excellent (if frost-shortened) vintage in Sancerre, 2018 elicited raves among producers for both its quality and quantity. I found the 2018 Le Chemin Blanc to be a broader, more substantial wine than the 2017, but one that retained its signature diamond-cut precision. A long and cool fermentation was followed by three weeks of lees stirring in tank, creating a Sauvignon Blanc of both generous texture and mouth-watering freshness. In the glass, the straw-yellow core gives way to platinum and green at the rim, with aromas of white grapefruit, lime blossom, peach, white flowers, herbs, wet stones, and bits of oyster shell. It is a solid medium-plus on the palate, with a hint of saltiness that wouldn’t be out of place in a more ‘coastal’ white wine, not to mention Chablis. It responds well to a quick 15-minute decanting, broadening on both the nose and palate as it comes up to about 50 degrees (my ideal temperature for a wine like this). Serve it in all-purpose whites next to lemony seafood, brightly dressed salads, or of course, some Crottin de Chavignol chèvre. I’m very happy to have it as a ‘main-event’ bottle with the attached poached halibut main course, but you will find this white to be one of the most versatile in your arsenal. Stock up! Cheers!