It’s a yearly ritual around here: Our network of importers and distributors have begun “pre-offering” their 2019 rosés, which will be landing on our shores soon. Buyers will jostle for their preferred new-release wines, because that’s what the wine market has been conditioned to do—sell (and drink) rosé at its absolute freshest. Well, I’m on record as believing otherwise, especially when it comes to structured rosés from Sancerre.
At the very least, I tuck away a few Spring-release rosés for serving the following Thanksgiving; those extra months in bottle are invaluable, but the best rosés, as I’ve said before, really don’t begin to show their stuff until their “second Spring.” And here we are with a 2018 rosé from Gérard Fiou, which has blossomed into something special. I tasted (and loved) it right around the time Ray Isle of
Food & Wine magazine penned an article that asked, “If you like rosé, why not drink it all year long?” Why, indeed? “White wines (and ice cream, as far as I’m concerned) know no seasons,” he added, “so why should pink ones?” I couldn’t agree more, and I’d also stress that this isn’t a simple little quaffer of a rosé: It’s a deeply mineral, super-satisfying Pinot Noir wrought from the flinty
silex soils of Sancerre. Now is a great time to pull the cork on this, believe me!
Silex is a big part of the story here, as evidenced by Fiou’s shout-out on the label: Although limestone is more common in Sancerre, silex (flint) pops up throughout the appellation, including some of its most famous single vineyards (it is more commonly found across the Loire River in Pouilly-Fuissé). It’s the magic fairy dust behind today’s rosé. This saignée from a small, dedicated producer is made from 100% old-vine (60+-years) Pinot Noir.
While we typically think of white wines when we hear “Sancerre,” the region was mainly known for Pinot Noir and Gamay until the late-1800s, when phylloxera wiped out vines and everyone in Europe was forced to hit “reset.” Today, Pinot Noir is just 20% of Sancerre’s production and one of its best-kept secrets, often rivaling the quality of top wines from Burgundy. That’s a distinguishing feature of Fiou’s ’18: It offers uncommon minerality and depth, a racy edge that makes it simply irresistible even a year after its formal release date.
As ever, we’ve scouted out an unsung producer with a name that might ring new to you: Domaine Gérard Fiou was established several generations ago on 20+ acres in eastern Sancerre. Having fostered a longstanding friendship with the Bourgeois family (of Sancerre producer Henri Bourgeois), founder Gérard recently merged his mom-and-pop endeavor with the larger company. These days, young Florent Bourgeois, Henri’s grandson, mans the helm at Domaine Gérard Fiou, dividing his days between vineyard work and winemaking. With an eye toward sustainability, Florent is leading the winery into a conversion to Certified Organic viticulture. This wine has the elusive holy trinity—good people, good fruit, and good land.
2018 Gérard Fiou Terroir Silex Sancerre Rosé is, as mentioned, crafted in the
saignée method, which means juice is drained (or “bled”) from vats of Pinot Noir juice after a brief cold maceration. Then, fermentation is conducted in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks, followed by a few months of maturation on fine lees, which subtly adds depth and flavor. The resulting wine is at once zingy and seductive, a mouthful of raspberry and rose petals laced with citrus and spice. Serve this wine chilled but not ice-cold—45-50 degrees is good—in all-purpose white wine stems (or even Burgundy bowls, why not?). Pairing possibilities are infinite, but I have my eye on Spring and a bottle of this with a Thai noodle salad. But really, it’ll be good anytime—I won’t be waiting!
