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Domaine Pierre Cherrier et Fils, Sancerre Rosé “La Croix Poignant”

Loire Valley, France 2018 (750mL)
$28.00
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Domaine Pierre Cherrier et Fils, Sancerre Rosé “La Croix Poignant”

I find rosé most attractive for all the things it is not. Not highly alcoholic, tannic, or sweet. It’s not over-extracted or heavily manipulated. It’s rarely overpriced and fundamentally rejects the sip-and-spit scoring method by fighting big numbers with finesse.
All that said, my favorite rosés still have backbone, flavor, color, and finish. They need more attention than most people are willing to give them: good glasses, the right food, and a little time to broaden to their fullest potential. Sancerre has long been one of my favorite sources for “serious” rosé, and Pierre Cherrier's 2018 ‘La Croix Poignant’ is more than just a textbook example. It’s spicy, food-friendly, and grounded in that magical mix of flint, clay, and chalk that makes the wines of the region so vibrant. It has both the acidity and minerality to go toe-to-toe with the extraordinary white wines of the region, with added texture and body from its time on its aromatic Pinot Noir skins. Yes, you can throw it in a cooler for a river-rafting trip, but you can also serve it with complex, flavorful foods, or revisit it in a year (or two!) to check in on that structure that characterizes the best Sancerres of any color. Most importantly, it’s $28, so you can do the sensible thing and stock up for many seasons of enjoyment.
Enter Domaine Pierre Cherrier. The Cherrier family has crafted sustainably grown wines of all three colors since the late 1800s. They’re based in the tiny village of Chaudoux, north of Sancerre proper. Founder Maurice planted the very first vines in his village (now home to many other wineries), but it’s his son, Pierre, who expanded their holdings to 35 acres of prime vineyard—only five of which are Pinot Noir and the rest Sauvignon Blanc. Pierre’s sons, François and Jean-Marie, are the third generation to shape these wines. They’re taking their father’s traditional winemaking style to a new level, fermenting with indigenous yeasts in temperature controlled stainless steel and aging very carefully on fine lees (yeast sediment).

“La Croix Poignant” is a postage stamp of vineyard, which means this particular rosé is exceedingly rare. Its old-growth Pinot Noir vines dig deep into the same terres blanches (limestone) soils that give white Sancerre their legendary energy. The Cherriers treat pink like gold, using a ‘direct press’ method, meaning the grapes are harvested specifically for rosé production and pressed immediately. They make every effort to protect the freshness of the wine, including aging in tank. 

In the glass, this 2018 is pale pink with a golden edge. The nose is very expressive, with lots of spicy white clematis, tart cranberry, and ruby red grapefruit. You can smell that classic Sancerre minerality—there’s wet stone underneath the florality. Use Burgundy stems and pour a generous-enough glass to watch the wine broaden as it creeps past 50 degrees. The palate is well-rounded by the warmer vintage, 2018, which will be etched in our memories as a historic year: incredibly aromatic, flavorful wines of all three colors were produced after the hottest summer on record. “La Croix Poignant” is appropriately smooth and rich but with a kiwi-like acidity that makes your mouth tingle. You can taste a little cherry sauce, wild strawberries, and a delicate spiciness, reminiscent of green cardamom pods. The finish is savory and firmly mineral, hinting at that ageability. 

I’ll be drinking this over the next three years with a wide variety of foods—that’s the superpower of a well-made rosé. Try going out of your comfort zone and push this wine’s limits; go to your local farmers’ market and buy a wealth of fresh herbs for “Kuku Sabzi”—Persian herb frittata. Smoke some trout, or grill some lamb, or roast a turkey, or get some Chinese takeout. Be fearless and trust that this wine will be just as delicious aprés-ski—maybe fireside with duck fat french fries—as it will be tonight on your back porch, all by itself.
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Country
France
Region
Loire Valley
Sub-Region
FranceSancerre
Soil
Limestone & Clay
Farming
Sustainable
Blend
Pinot Noir 100%
Alcohol
14.0
OAK
None
TEMP.
50
Glassware
Burgundy Stems
Drinking
Now-2020+
Decanting
Optional
Pairing
Persian Herb Frittata

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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