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Domaine Bailly-Reverdy, Sancerre “Chavignol”

Loire Valley, France 2018 (750mL)
$30.00
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Domaine Bailly-Reverdy, Sancerre “Chavignol”

It’s been 65 years since Domaine Bailly-Reverdy first appeared on Sancerre’s most selective wine lists. The wines have only improved in the interim, becoming purer, more perfect reflections of the family, the soils, and the region credited with producing some of the world’s most vivid and finely etched white wines.
I’m always excited to revisit the classics, particularly when the producer hasn’t rested on its laurels but continuously strives to improve its farming and winemaking practices. Bailly-Reverdy may produce traditional, letter-perfect Sauvignon Blanc but they’ve got the other foot firmly planted in the future of sustainable farming. Further, they’ve doubled down on the importance of site by proudly announcing this Sancerre’s source village—Chavignol—right on the front label. If that isn’t enough to convince you, one soft, mineral mouthful of green-apple freshness should do the trick. And if you still need convincing, just look at the price tag!
Domaine Bailly-Reverdy makes its home in the village of Bué, approximately five kilometers from Sancerre and overflowing with an astonishing 30 or so winemaking families. The wines have been bottled under the name “Bailly-Reverdy” since the 1952 marriage of Bernard Bailly and Marie-Thérese Reverdy. Bernard chose to bottle, market, and distribute the wine himself, accepting that his domaine’s success would be a direct reflection of both his wine and business savvy. He brought samples of his wine to each of Sancerre’s best restaurants, asking them in person to place Domaine Bailly-Reverdy on their lists—where they remain today. 

With the success of his domaine and his personal reputation at stake, Bernard left very little to chance. He field-grafted the most beautiful young vines to the rootstock best adapted to each individual terroir—terres blanches (chalky clay); silex (flint); and caillottes (pebbly limestone). Every subsequent generation (three in total) has nudged the domaine’s 23 hectares closer to sustainable farming practices, including cover cropping, dry-farming, no chemical fertilizers, and hand-harvesting. To this day, the business is family-run by Aurélian Bailly, who cut his teeth in California and New Zealand before returning to helm his family’s domaine with a global perspective. 

The result is Sauvignon Blanc like no other, grown in the prestigious village of Chavignol, which is often referred to as the “Grand Cru” of Sancerre. It’s widely regarded as one of the best places in the world for this particular variety, coaxing an inimitable minerality, generosity, and precision from the grapes. Steep slopes of chalk and clay make viticultural work slow and laborious. After a gentle hand-harvest, a native-yeast fermentation is carried out in temperature regulated tanks to preserve the freshness of the fruit and typicity of those bright chalk soils. This is one of the first 2018 Sancerres we’ve offered at SommSelect, and we’re excited to report the historically warm (and much anticipated) vintage does not disappoint: I can’t remember a better year!

Today’s 2018 wine is a pale, straw yellow in the glass, with generous aromas of lemon rind, green cardamom, yellow pear and a firm base of limestone. The palate is defined by a lively, balanced acidity and the taste of crab apples and quince paste. It’s both texturally rich and mineral, flirtatiously soft without ever losing that quintessential Sancerre “uprightness.” It should age nicely over the next 5-10 years if you are so inclined, but it is so delicious and drinkable now I don’t imagine many will wait on it: You can serve it right from the bottle, or splash it in a decanter for 15 minutes or so and pour in all-purpose whites at 45-50 degrees. Pair with a tin of good Spanish sardines in olive oil, good toast, salty olives, and the peace of mind that comes with not having to cook dinner. Enjoy!
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Country
France
Region
Loire Valley
Sub-Region
FranceSancerre
Soil
Chalky Clay
Farming
Sustainable
Blend
Sauvignon Blanc 100%
Alcohol
14.0
OAK
None
TEMP.
45-50
Glassware
All-Purpose Whites
Drinking
Now-2022
Decanting
15 Minutes
Pairing
Spanish Sardines on Toast

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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