Vacheron farms from the hilltop town of Sancerre itself, with holdings split between the hard flint of the eastern slopes and softer limestone and marl. The village bottling draws from both, and the cousins Jean-Laurent and Jean-Dominique have had the estate certified biodynamic since 2005. Thirty- to fifty-year-old vines give this 2023 a mid-palate with actual weight behind the citrus, and the flint shows up as a stony, saline lift rather than anything showy. This is Sauvignon Blanc as a soil reading, not a fruit bomb.
Tasting Notes
With cellars located in the charming, hilltop town of Sancerre, Jean-Laurent and Jean-Dominique Vacheron have vineyards in mainly the eastern part of Sancerre on hard, flinty soils as well as smaller holding on softer limestone and clay soils. Their “village” Sancerre bottling draws from both terroirs to create a subtle, mineral and completely satisfying wine. One of the few estates in Sancerre to harvest entirely by hand this wine is fermented with indigenous yeasts and aged in tank for at least 4 months before bottling.
Professional Ratings
93
James Suckling
93
Wine Advocate
92
Wine Enthusiast
90
Vinous
About the Producer
Domaine Vacheron is one of Sancerre’s elite properties, producing white and red Sancerre of amazing purity and definition. The Domaine has been completely transformed over to biodynamic farming (certified by Biodyvin in 2005) with two young cousins, Jean-Laurent and Jean-Dominique Vacheron, at the helm. No synthetic material is used in the vineyard, harvests are carried out exclusively by hand, and the only fertilizer used is produced from the compost pile. Yields are kept extremely low.
