By any qualitative measure, today’s Sancerre compares favorably to top whites from Burgundy, but, if the price is any indication, the market has yet to recognize that. Those who know and love Sancerre know that “Chêne Marchand” isn’t any ordinary vineyard designation: If Sancerre had a hierarchy like Burgundy’s, this bottle would surely have the words “Grand Cru” on its label.
Would such a designation double its market value? We’ll never know, and frankly, I’m not inclined to find out—I’m very happy to acquire this vibrant, electric, age-worthy, utterly sensational Sancerre for the modest price tag it carries now. While I’m hoarding some of this 2018, I’ll offer a heartfelt tip of the châpeau to Dominique Roger and encourage him to keep ‘em coming. Roger traces his family roots in Sancerre back to the early 18th century and he takes his patrimony seriously, hand-crafting impeccable whites and reds from 11 hectares of vineyards. Among his diverse holdings is a sliver (.37 hectares) of the storied Chêne Marchand site, to which many of the biggest names in the region are attached. Not at all bowed by the big-name competition, Roger has captured all the refinement, mineral focus, and quiet power this vineyard is known for; this 2018 is electrifying, and it’s just getting started!
Roger uses no pesticides or herbicides in his vineyards and continues to hand-harvest all his fruit, initiating fermentations only with ambient yeasts. The wines are aged in tank only, to preserve the purity of their fruit and mineral elements, and that transparency is on full display in this palate-enlivening 2018. In the glass, it displays a star-bright straw-gold core with hints of silver and green, clawing its way out of the glass and into your smell receptors with notes of white grapefruit, lemon zest, peach pit, crushed rocks, oyster shells, and a bouquet garni of herbs. Humming with acidity and a tingle of crystalline minerals, it comes off medium-bodied but there’s a density that suggests it will broaden further with time. It’s always amazing when a wine is delicious out of the gate but also clearly capable of aging 10 years: If you’re opening it now, splash it in a decanter 15-30 minutes before serving in all-purpose white wine stems. The first thing I think of when I taste this classic Sancerre is the region’s ubiquitous goat’s cheese, Crottin de Chavignol, but let’s give it proper stage with a main-course pairing. Check out the simple halibut recipe attached and enjoy every sip and bite of this combination. Cheers!