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Domaine La Croix Saint-Laurent, Sancerre Rosé

Loire Valley, France 2017 (750mL)
$30.00
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Domaine La Croix Saint-Laurent, Sancerre Rosé

People tend to herd rosé wines into the ‘crisp and quaffable’ category, because, I’ll admit, any cold beverage goes down easy—but the importance of terroir for a rosé matches any other style of wine. Today’s rosé is as place-expressive as it is refreshing: It may look like its pale pink siblings from around the world, but this is leagues different in terms of minerality and regional typicity.
This 2017 Sancerre rosé hails from the flinty chalk soils of Bué, a small hamlet gently tucked into outlying hillsides of Sancerre proper. Though home to regional titans such as Lucien Crochet and Vincent Pinard, lesser-known Domaine la Croix Saint-Laurent is taking center stage today—and they deserve the spotlight. This is limited-production, firmly structured rosé that showcases the spicy minerality of cool-climate Pinot Noir. While most rosés are right for any occasion or temperature, some standouts hint toward a specific direction, and this one craves food. Whether you pair it with a summer dish or, even better, hold out for a heartier autumnal meal, this will happily stand beside it! A mere 56 cases found their way into the United States and we received a small fraction of that amount, so this is a chance to enjoy something unique from the ever-expanding sea of pink out there.
Domaine la Croix Saint-Laurent’s winemaking lineage can be traced back to the early 1800s and despite going through a change of ownership in the 20th century, this sense of legacy has not been lost: Current proprietors Joël and Sylvie Cirotte are part of a long history of winemakers and their son, Fabien, represents the 11th generation. At just under 25 total acres, their unwavering mission to both sustainably farm their estate vineyards and craft pure wines of terroir expression becomes an achievable practice. 

In order to slap “Sancerre” on a label, the wine must be either Pinot Noir or Sauvignon Blanc and vines are required to be within the delimited area. Among the best vineyard sites are those around Bué—with its hillside exposure, proximity to the Loire River, and wind protection from a neighboring forest, this is prime cool-climate territory. Domaine La Croix Saint-Laurent’s sustainably (and dry) farmed vines are located here. For rosé production, they hand harvest their 36-year old Pinot Noir vines and turn the crop into a clean, unmanipulated wine: the grapes are gently pressed at the winery and fermented in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks before briefly aging on their fine lees. That’s it—just pure, mineral-driven rosé.

In the glass, La Croix Saint-Laurent’s 2017 Sancerre rosé shimmers a pale salmon with soft accents of silver that flit toward a clear-tipped rim. The nose, at first shy, does eventually reveal itself with fresh aromas of crushed cranberry, blood orange rind, pink grapefruit, and Rainier cherry, followed by dried rose petals, gunflint, loads of crushed chalk, and a dash of white pepper. On the medium-bodied palate, the core of supple fruits stay intact, but overall the wine is bone-dry and full of earthy components that deliver immense levels of crushed rock minerality. This is squeaky-clean rosé with laser-focused acidity that could blossom even further if you were to hold it until the Fall—it would pair perfectly with a Thanksgiving meal (remember, this is rosé of Pinot Noir from a renowned cool-climate site!). Those enjoying today, pour into all-purpose stems and consume around 50-55 degrees next to food—it’s begging for it. The attached preparation of salad with pistachio and blood orange encrusted chicken will be the perfect accompaniment. Enjoy!
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Country
France
Region
Loire Valley
Sub-Region
FranceSancerre
Soil
Flint & Argilo-Calcaire
Farming
Practicing Organic
Blend
Pinot Noir 100%
Alcohol
13.0
TEMP.
50
Glassware
All-Purpose White
Drinking
Now-2020
Pairing
Pistachio-Orange Encrusted Chicken w/ Salad

France

Bourgogne

Beaujolais

Enjoying the greatest wines of Beaujolais starts, as it usually does, with the lay of the land. In Beaujolais, 10 localities have been given their own AOC (Appellation of Controlled Origin) designation. They are: Saint Amour; Juliénas; Chénas; Moulin-à Vent; Fleurie; Chiroubles; Morgon; Régnié; Côte de Brouilly; and Brouilly.

Southwestern France

Bordeaux

Bordeaux surrounds two rivers, the Dordogne and Garonne, which intersect north of the city of Bordeaux to form the Gironde Estuary, which empties into the Atlantic Ocean. The region is at the 45th parallel (California’s Napa Valley is at the38th), with a mild, Atlantic-influenced climate enabling the maturation of late-ripening varieties.

Central France

Loire Valley

The Loire is France’s longest river (634 miles), originating in the southerly Cévennes Mountains, flowing north towards Paris, then curving westward and emptying into the Atlantic Ocean near Nantes. The Loire and its tributaries cover a huge swath of central France, with most of the wine appellations on an east-west stretch at47 degrees north (the same latitude as Burgundy).

Northeastern France

Alsace

Alsace, in Northeastern France, is one of the most geologically diverse wine regions in the world, with vineyards running from the foothills of theVosges Mountains down to the Rhine River Valley below.

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