Sancerre (wine)
Encyclopedia
Sancerre is a French wine
Appellation d'origine contrôlée
(AOC) for wine
produced in the environs of Sancerre
in the eastern part of the Loire valley
, southeast of Orléans
. Almost all of the appellation lies on the left bank of the Loire
, opposite Pouilly-Fumé
. It is well regarded for and primarily associated with Sauvignon blanc
, making wines of great purity and elegance. Some Pinot noir
is also grown, accounting for around 20% of the region's production, making mostly light red wines for quaffing under the designation of Sancerre Rouge. A rosé
style from Pinot noir is also produced in a style similar to Beaujolais
.
White Sancerre was one of the original AOCs awarded in 1936, with the same area being designated for red wines on 23 January 1959. The AOC area has expanded fourfold over the years, most recently on 18 March 1998. The town lies on an outcrop of the chalk that runs from the White cliffs of Dover
down through the Champagne and Chablis. A series of small valleys cut through the chalk, each with their own soils and microclimate and terroir
. In the east are the "flints" that make minerally, long-lived wines. Between the town and Verdigny
the soil consists of marl and gravel – "les caillottes" – producing fruity, well balanced wines. And in the southwest, away from the river towards Menetou-Salon
, the chalky "terres blanches" (white ground) produce weightier wines. Most – but not all – of the Sauvignon Blancs are unoaked.
The region was historically linked to the Duchy of Burgundy
, which may have played a role in the introduction of Pinot noir vines to this area. Sancerre's position as an administrative center, and the large nearby cities of Orléans and Bourges
(which was the capital of the powerful Duke of Berry
) ensured healthy local markets for the Pinot Noir and Gamay
wines traditional in the area. Demand further increased with the coming of the railway from Paris. In the late 19th century the phylloxera epidemic devastated the area wiping out the majority of the region's vines. While some Pinot noir vines were retained most of the Gamay was lost. They were replanted with Sauvignon Blanc, partly because it grafted better onto the American rootstocks. After World War II
, the wines gained a reputation in the Paris bistro
scene as an easy drinking white wine equivalent to Beaujolais. In the late 1970s and 1980s, a wave of quality conscious produced help elevate the reputation of Sancerre as an elegant and food friendly white wine that became a popular feature on restaurant lists across the globe.
and the Loire region of Muscadet
, and is actually closer to the Champagne wine region than it is to the Middle Loire city of Tours
and the Vouvray
and Chinon AOCs. The distance from the Atlantic gives this region more of a continental climate than typical of the rest of the Loire with short, hot summers and long, cold winters that may extend the threat of frost
damage into early spring.
The most dominating geographical influence of Sancerre is the nearby Loire river which flows northward past the city before it curves westward at Orleans and makes it path to the ocean. Located on the west bank of the river, Sancerre nearly faces the neighboring wine region of Pouilly-Fumé on the east bank of the river just a few miles upstream towards the south. The region is located north of the city of Nevers
and 22 miles (35 kilometers) northeast of Bourges, To the northeast, the Burgundian wine region of Chablis is only 60 miles (97 kilometers) away and shares the same out cropping of chalk soil that extends all the way to the White Cliffs of Dover in England
.
Most vineyards planted on the hills around Sancerre are on south facing slopes at altitudes between 655-1,310 feet (200–400 meters). The soils around the area can be roughly classified into three categories. The far western reaches heading towards Menetou-Salon have "white" soils with clay
and limestone
. Around the village of Chavignol (considered a cru
of Sancerre), the soil also includes some Kimmeridgian
marl
. Wines from these western reaches tend to have more body and power in their flavor profile. Heading closer to the city of Sancerre the soil picks up more gravel
mixed with the limestone and tends to produce more light bodied wines with delicate perfumes. The third classification of soil is found around the city of Sancerre itself which includes many deposits of flint
(also known as silex) that add distinctive mineral components. These wines tend to be heavily perfumed with the longest aging potential of Sancerres.
styles of Sauvignon blanc are more prevalent with large, leafy canopies, while producers wishing to minimize these qualities may need wide, open canopies. In cooler vintage
s, the growers may need to take the additional measures of leaf plucking and de-budding in order to thin out the canopy and produce more fruit concentrated grapes.
The age of vine can also contribute to how much grassy character the resultant wine may have as well as how early the grapes are harvested. Many of the phenolic compounds and aroma compounds, such as pyrazine
, that contribute to strong grassy flavors are found in the grape skins, eventually breaking down as it goes through its ripening process. Grapes that are harvested before they are physiologically ripe may have more overt grassy notes. How the harvest is conducted will depend on where the vineyards are located. As the steep slopes on which many Sancerre vineyards are planted make mechanical harvesting difficult many vineyards are picked by hand. However, in the flatter vineyards located more towards the west of the appellation, mechanical harvesting is starting to become more prevalent.
The focus of Sancerre winemakers is usually to express the pure fruit flavors of Sauvignon blanc and the natural terroir of the region with very little adjustments taking place during winemaking. Most Sancerre is produced without malolactic fermentation
and little oak influences. However, since the late 20th century more producers have begun experimenting with some degree of oak fermentation
or aging. While most of the wines in this area are produced dry, in exceptionally warm and ripe years (such as 1989) some producers have made a late harvest wine
. However, these are very rare. And while Sancerre blanc is the most widely produced style, both Sancerre rouge and a dry rosé style wine are also produced with Pinot noir.
describes the classic profile of Sancerre blanc as bone dry, highly aromatic with intense flavors of peach
es and gooseberries. He describes Sancerre rouge as being light to medium bodied with floral aromas and delicate flavors. The Pinot noir based rosés are described as dry and light bodied with raspberry
and strawberry
notes. Other wine experts such as Jancis Robinson
and Hugh Johnson
note that in recent years overproduction has introduced a lot of variable quality with some Sancerre blancs producing flavor profiles that are not that much different from generic Sauvignon de Touraine from the Middle Loire, though this varies depending on the producer and overall quality of the vintage.
The styles of Sancerre will vary somewhat depending on what part of the wine region in whih the grapes are produced. Around the village of Bué
in the western reaches of the AOC, the soils tend to have more clay and produce more full bodied and rounded wines. The village of Chavignol, located to the northwest just outside of Sancerre, has light soils that include a mix of limestone and gravel which produce more perfumed wines. Near Ménétréol-sous-Sancerre
there is more flint deposits and the wines take on more mineral and steely notes. Within Sancerre the three villages of Bué, Chavignol and Ménétréol-sous-Sancerre (and sometimes Verdigny) have become so widely associated with distinctive and high quality wines that they are often referred to as "crus" even though Sancerre is not officially classified like parts of Bordeaux and Burgundy. Still, restaurants in Sancerre will often specify which wines on their wine list come from which of these three villages , while wine producers also try highlighting bottlings from these vineyards by including the village name on the wine label
.
Sancerre is often compared to neighboring Pouilly-Fumé which also specializes in 100% Sauvignon blanc wines, and while there are some differences, wine experts like Robinson, Johnson and Karen MacNeil
note that only very experienced tasters can distinguish the differences in a blind tasting. Broadly speaking, Sancerre tends to have a fuller body with more pronounced aromas, while Pouilly-Fumé wines are more perfumed. However, both wines have naturally high acidity and the potential to exhibit the minerally, flinty notes described as pierre à fusil or gunflint, as well as citrus
and spicy notes.
Similarly Sancerre is compared to Sauvignon blancs produced around the globe. According to Master of wine
Mary Ewing-Mulligan
, Sancerre tends to be less herbaceous and grassy than Sauvignon blancs from New Zealand and the Alto-Adige and Friuli-Venezia Giulia region of Italy. Compared to Sauvignon blanc grown in Bordeaux, which are often blended with Semillon
, Sancerre can be both more concentrated with more racy acidity. When contrasted with New World examples from California, Washington, Chile and South Africa, Sancerre tends to exhibit more assertive mineral flavors.
, Bué, Crézancy
, Menetou-Râtel
, Ménétréol, Montigny
, Saint-Satur
, Sainte-Gemme
, Sancerre, Sury-en-Vaux
, Thauvenay
, Veaugues
, Verdigny and Vinon
. Within the appellation there are several highly regarded vineyards, such as the Clos de la Poussie, Chêne Marchand, and Le Grand Chemarin, but since the mid-1990s local regulations have prohibited producers from making vineyard designated wine
s in Sancerre. Some producers have attempted to get around this regulation by abbreviating the name of the vineyard as part of a cuvée
designation such as Jean-Max Roger's bottling of Sancerre Cuvée GC from the Le Grand Chemarin vineyard.
According to AOC regulations, only Sauvignon blanc and Pinot noir are permitted as AOC classified Sancerre wine. While Sauvignon blanc represents the vast majority of the area's production, Pinot noir can account for anywhere from 1/5th to 1/6th of annual production depending on the vintage. The yields of Sancerre blanc are limited to a maximum of 60 hectoliters per hectare while Sancerre rouge and rose are restricted to maximum yields of 55 hl/ha. The minimum alcohol content of Sancerre blanc is 10.5% alcohol per volume while Sancerre rouge and rosé must maintain a minimum alcohol level of 10%. Wines made outside these AOC regulations must be declassified from AOC wines to vin de pays
table wine
such as Vin de Pays du Jardin de France.
French wine
French wine is produced in several regions throughout France, in quantities between 50 and 60 million hectolitres per year, or 7–8 billion bottles. France has the world's second-largest total vineyard area, behind Spain, and is in the position of being the world's largest wine producer...
Appellation d'origine contrôlée
Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée
Appellation d’origine contrôlée , which translates as "controlled designation of origin", is the French certification granted to certain French geographical indications for wines, cheeses, butters, and other agricultural products, all under the auspices of the government bureau Institut National...
(AOC) for wine
Wine
Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...
produced in the environs of Sancerre
Sancerre
Sancerre is a medieval hilltop town , commune and canton in the Cher department of central France overlooking the Loire River. It is noted for its wine.-History:...
in the eastern part of the Loire valley
Loire Valley (wine)
The Loire Valley wine region includes the French wine regions situated along the Loire River from the Muscadet region near the city of Nantes on the Atlantic coast to the region of Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé just southeast of the city of Orléans in north central France. In between are the regions of...
, southeast of Orléans
Orléans
-Prehistory and Roman:Cenabum was a Gallic stronghold, one of the principal towns of the Carnutes tribe where the Druids held their annual assembly. It was conquered and destroyed by Julius Caesar in 52 BC, then rebuilt under the Roman Empire...
. Almost all of the appellation lies on the left bank of the Loire
Loire (river)
The Loire is the longest river in France. With a length of , it drains an area of , which represents more than a fifth of France's land area. It is the 170th longest river in the world...
, opposite Pouilly-Fumé
Pouilly-Fumé
Pouilly-Fumé is an Appellation d'origine contrôlée for dry white wine from the Loire Valley wine-producing region of France. Pouilly-Fumé is made from the Sauvignon Blanc grape variety. It is characterized by smoky flavors and minerality. The vineyards are located in the communes...
. It is well regarded for and primarily associated with Sauvignon blanc
Sauvignon blanc
Sauvignon Blanc is a green-skinned grape variety which originates from the Bordeaux region of France. The grape most likely gets its name from the French word sauvage and blanc due to its early origins as an indigenous grape in South West France., a possible descendant of savagnin...
, making wines of great purity and elegance. Some Pinot noir
Pinot Noir
Pinot noir is a black wine grape variety of the species Vitis vinifera. The name may also refer to wines created predominantly from Pinot noir grapes...
is also grown, accounting for around 20% of the region's production, making mostly light red wines for quaffing under the designation of Sancerre Rouge. A rosé
Rosé
A rosé is a type of wine that has some of the color typical of a red wine, but only enough to turn it pink. The pink color can range from a pale orange to a vivid near-purple, depending on the grapes and wine making techniques.- Production techniques :There are three major ways to produce rosé...
style from Pinot noir is also produced in a style similar to Beaujolais
Beaujolais (wine)
Beaujolais is a French Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée wine generally made of the Gamay grape which has a thin skin and is low in tannins. Like most AOC wines they are not labeled varietally. Whites from the region, which make up only 1% of its production, are made mostly with Chardonnay grapes...
.
White Sancerre was one of the original AOCs awarded in 1936, with the same area being designated for red wines on 23 January 1959. The AOC area has expanded fourfold over the years, most recently on 18 March 1998. The town lies on an outcrop of the chalk that runs from the White cliffs of Dover
White cliffs of Dover
The White Cliffs of Dover are cliffs which form part of the British coastline facing the Strait of Dover and France. The cliffs are part of the North Downs formation. The cliff face, which reaches up to , owes its striking façade to its composition of chalk accentuated by streaks of black flint...
down through the Champagne and Chablis. A series of small valleys cut through the chalk, each with their own soils and microclimate and terroir
Terroir
Terroir comes from the word terre "land". It was originally a French term in wine, coffee and tea used to denote the special characteristics that the geography, geology and climate of a certain place bestowed upon particular varieties...
. In the east are the "flints" that make minerally, long-lived wines. Between the town and Verdigny
Verdigny
Verdigny is a commune in the Cher department in the Centre region of France.-Geography:An area of winegrowing and farming comprising two villages and a couple of hamlets situated some northeast of Bourges at the junction of the D134 with the D134e road. The commune is one of 14 that grow grapes...
the soil consists of marl and gravel – "les caillottes" – producing fruity, well balanced wines. And in the southwest, away from the river towards Menetou-Salon
Menetou-Salon
Menetou-Salon is a commune in the Cher department in the Centre region of France. Inhabitants of the area are known as Monestrosaloniens.-Geography:The commune is located 16 kilometres North of Bourges on the RD11....
, the chalky "terres blanches" (white ground) produce weightier wines. Most – but not all – of the Sauvignon Blancs are unoaked.
History
The area around Sancerre was likely first cultivated by the Romans, perhaps in the 1st century AD, though the exact date is unknown. The chalk hill outcrop was not only a distinctive landmark known in Roman times but it also fit the profile of the type of areas that was usually the first to be cultivated-it was near an important town and had easy access to a navigable river. Most importantly, however, the steep sloping hills could provide the grapes with enough direct sunlight and warmth to fully ripen while allowing cold air to flow off the slope and pool into the valleys below.The region was historically linked to the Duchy of Burgundy
Duchy of Burgundy
The Duchy of Burgundy , was heir to an ancient and prestigious reputation and a large division of the lands of the Second Kingdom of Burgundy and in its own right was one of the geographically larger ducal territories in the emergence of Early Modern Europe from Medieval Europe.Even in that...
, which may have played a role in the introduction of Pinot noir vines to this area. Sancerre's position as an administrative center, and the large nearby cities of Orléans and Bourges
Bourges
Bourges is a city in central France on the Yèvre river. It is the capital of the department of Cher and also was the capital of the former province of Berry.-History:...
(which was the capital of the powerful Duke of Berry
Duke of Berry
The title of Duke of Berry in the French nobility was frequently created for junior members of the French royal family. The Berry region now consists of the départements of Cher, Indre and parts of Vienne. The capital of Berry is Bourges. The first creation was for John, third son of John II, King...
) ensured healthy local markets for the Pinot Noir and Gamay
Gamay
Gamay is a purple-colored grape variety used to make red wines, most notably grown in Beaujolais and in the Loire Valley around Tours. Its full name is Gamay Noir à Jus Blanc. It is a very old cultivar, mentioned as long ago as the 15th century...
wines traditional in the area. Demand further increased with the coming of the railway from Paris. In the late 19th century the phylloxera epidemic devastated the area wiping out the majority of the region's vines. While some Pinot noir vines were retained most of the Gamay was lost. They were replanted with Sauvignon Blanc, partly because it grafted better onto the American rootstocks. After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the wines gained a reputation in the Paris bistro
Bistro
A bistro, sometimes spelled bistrot, is, in its original Parisian incarnation, a small restaurant serving moderately priced simple meals in a modest setting. Bistros are defined mostly by the foods they serve. Home cooking with robust earthy dishes, and slow-cooked foods like cassoulet are typical...
scene as an easy drinking white wine equivalent to Beaujolais. In the late 1970s and 1980s, a wave of quality conscious produced help elevate the reputation of Sancerre as an elegant and food friendly white wine that became a popular feature on restaurant lists across the globe.
Climate and geography
Sancerre is part of the "central vineyards" of the Loire Valley, so named not because they are in the center of the Loire but rather because they are nearly in the center of France. Together with neighboring Pouilly-Fumé, the region makes up the eastern most extension of the Loire Valley. The area is more than 300 miles (483 kilometers) from the Atlantic CoastAtlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
and the Loire region of Muscadet
Muscadet
Muscadet is a white French wine. It is made at the western end of the Loire Valley, near the city of Nantes in the Pays de la Loire region neighboring the Brittany Region. More Muscadet is produced than any other Loire wine. It is made from the Melon de Bourgogne grape, often referred to simply as...
, and is actually closer to the Champagne wine region than it is to the Middle Loire city of Tours
Tours
Tours is a city in central France, the capital of the Indre-et-Loire department.It is located on the lower reaches of the river Loire, between Orléans and the Atlantic coast. Touraine, the region around Tours, is known for its wines, the alleged perfection of its local spoken French, and for the...
and the Vouvray
Vouvray
Vouvray is a commune in the Indre-et-Loire department in central France.It is best known for its production of white wine, among some of the best rated in France.-References:*...
and Chinon AOCs. The distance from the Atlantic gives this region more of a continental climate than typical of the rest of the Loire with short, hot summers and long, cold winters that may extend the threat of frost
Frost
Frost is the solid deposition of water vapor from saturated air. It is formed when solid surfaces are cooled to below the dew point of the adjacent air as well as below the freezing point of water. Frost crystals' size differ depending on time and water vapour available. Frost is also usually...
damage into early spring.
The most dominating geographical influence of Sancerre is the nearby Loire river which flows northward past the city before it curves westward at Orleans and makes it path to the ocean. Located on the west bank of the river, Sancerre nearly faces the neighboring wine region of Pouilly-Fumé on the east bank of the river just a few miles upstream towards the south. The region is located north of the city of Nevers
Nevers
Nevers is a commune in – and the administrative capital of – the Nièvre department in the Bourgogne region in central France...
and 22 miles (35 kilometers) northeast of Bourges, To the northeast, the Burgundian wine region of Chablis is only 60 miles (97 kilometers) away and shares the same out cropping of chalk soil that extends all the way to the White Cliffs of Dover in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
Most vineyards planted on the hills around Sancerre are on south facing slopes at altitudes between 655-1,310 feet (200–400 meters). The soils around the area can be roughly classified into three categories. The far western reaches heading towards Menetou-Salon have "white" soils with clay
Clay
Clay is a general term including many combinations of one or more clay minerals with traces of metal oxides and organic matter. Geologic clay deposits are mostly composed of phyllosilicate minerals containing variable amounts of water trapped in the mineral structure.- Formation :Clay minerals...
and limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
. Around the village of Chavignol (considered a cru
Cru (wine)
Cru is a French wine term which is traditionally translated as "growth", as it was originally the past participle of the verb "croitre" . As a wine term it is closely connected to terroir in the sense of an "extent of terrain having a certain physical homogeneity ....
of Sancerre), the soil also includes some Kimmeridgian
Kimmeridgian
In the geologic timescale, the Kimmeridgian is an age or stage in the Late or Upper Jurassic epoch or series. It spans the time between 155.7 ± 4 Ma and 150.8 ± 4 Ma . The Kimmeridgian follows the Oxfordian and precedes the Tithonian....
marl
Marl
Marl or marlstone is a calcium carbonate or lime-rich mud or mudstone which contains variable amounts of clays and aragonite. Marl was originally an old term loosely applied to a variety of materials, most of which occur as loose, earthy deposits consisting chiefly of an intimate mixture of clay...
. Wines from these western reaches tend to have more body and power in their flavor profile. Heading closer to the city of Sancerre the soil picks up more gravel
Gravel
Gravel is composed of unconsolidated rock fragments that have a general particle size range and include size classes from granule- to boulder-sized fragments. Gravel can be sub-categorized into granule and cobble...
mixed with the limestone and tends to produce more light bodied wines with delicate perfumes. The third classification of soil is found around the city of Sancerre itself which includes many deposits of flint
Flint
Flint is a hard, sedimentary cryptocrystalline form of the mineral quartz, categorized as a variety of chert. It occurs chiefly as nodules and masses in sedimentary rocks, such as chalks and limestones. Inside the nodule, flint is usually dark grey, black, green, white, or brown in colour, and...
(also known as silex) that add distinctive mineral components. These wines tend to be heavily perfumed with the longest aging potential of Sancerres.
Viticulture and winemaking
As a cool continental climate region, one of the main viticultural threats in Sancerre is springtime frost. Throughout most of the growing season the nearby Loire river to the east and forest to the west help moderate temperatures. Vine growers in the area tend to utilize cordon or single Guyot vine training and tailor their canopy management techniques to whichever style of Sauvignon blanc they are looking to produce. Grassy, herbaceousHerbaceous
A herbaceous plant is a plant that has leaves and stems that die down at the end of the growing season to the soil level. They have no persistent woody stem above ground...
styles of Sauvignon blanc are more prevalent with large, leafy canopies, while producers wishing to minimize these qualities may need wide, open canopies. In cooler vintage
Vintage
Vintage, in wine-making, is the process of picking grapes and creating the finished product . A vintage wine is one made from grapes that were all, or primarily, grown and harvested in a single specified year. In certain wines, it can denote quality, as in Port wine, where Port houses make and...
s, the growers may need to take the additional measures of leaf plucking and de-budding in order to thin out the canopy and produce more fruit concentrated grapes.
The age of vine can also contribute to how much grassy character the resultant wine may have as well as how early the grapes are harvested. Many of the phenolic compounds and aroma compounds, such as pyrazine
Pyrazine
Pyrazine is a heterocyclic aromatic organic compound with the chemical formula C4H4N2.Pyrazine is a symmetrical molecule with point group D2h. Derivatives like phenazine are well known for their antitumor, antibiotic and diuretic activity. Pyrazine is less basic in nature than pyridine, pyridazine...
, that contribute to strong grassy flavors are found in the grape skins, eventually breaking down as it goes through its ripening process. Grapes that are harvested before they are physiologically ripe may have more overt grassy notes. How the harvest is conducted will depend on where the vineyards are located. As the steep slopes on which many Sancerre vineyards are planted make mechanical harvesting difficult many vineyards are picked by hand. However, in the flatter vineyards located more towards the west of the appellation, mechanical harvesting is starting to become more prevalent.
The focus of Sancerre winemakers is usually to express the pure fruit flavors of Sauvignon blanc and the natural terroir of the region with very little adjustments taking place during winemaking. Most Sancerre is produced without malolactic fermentation
Malolactic fermentation
Malolactic fermentation is a process in winemaking where tart-tasting malic acid, naturally present in grape must, is converted to softer-tasting lactic acid. Malolactic fermentation tends to create a rounder, fuller mouthfeel. It has been said that malic acid tastes of green apples...
and little oak influences. However, since the late 20th century more producers have begun experimenting with some degree of oak fermentation
Fermentation (wine)
The process of fermentation in wine turns grape juice into an alcoholic beverage. During fermentation, yeast interact with sugars in the juice to create ethanol, commonly known as ethyl alcohol, and carbon dioxide...
or aging. While most of the wines in this area are produced dry, in exceptionally warm and ripe years (such as 1989) some producers have made a late harvest wine
Late harvest wine
Late harvest is a term applied to wines made from grapes left on the vine longer than usual. Late harvest is usually an indication of a sweet dessert wine, such as late harvest Riesling. Late harvest grapes are often more similar to raisins, but have been naturally dehydrated while on the vine...
. However, these are very rare. And while Sancerre blanc is the most widely produced style, both Sancerre rouge and a dry rosé style wine are also produced with Pinot noir.
Wines
Wine expert Tom StevensonTom Stevenson
Tom Stevenson is a British author who has been writing about wine for more than 30 years. Described by his colleagues as one of today’s most prolific wine authors, Stevenson is regarded as the world’s leading authority on Champagne...
describes the classic profile of Sancerre blanc as bone dry, highly aromatic with intense flavors of peach
Peach
The peach tree is a deciduous tree growing to tall and 6 in. in diameter, belonging to the subfamily Prunoideae of the family Rosaceae. It bears an edible juicy fruit called a peach...
es and gooseberries. He describes Sancerre rouge as being light to medium bodied with floral aromas and delicate flavors. The Pinot noir based rosés are described as dry and light bodied with raspberry
Raspberry
The raspberry or hindberry is the edible fruit of a multitude of plant species in the genus Rubus, most of which are in the subgenus Idaeobatus; the name also applies to these plants themselves...
and strawberry
Strawberry
Fragaria is a genus of flowering plants in the rose family, Rosaceae, commonly known as strawberries for their edible fruits. Although it is commonly thought that strawberries get their name from straw being used as a mulch in cultivating the plants, the etymology of the word is uncertain. There...
notes. Other wine experts such as Jancis Robinson
Jancis Robinson
Jancis Mary Robinson OBE, MW is a British wine critic, journalist and editor of wine literature. She currently writes a weekly column for the Financial Times, and writes for her website jancisrobinson.com...
and Hugh Johnson
Hugh Johnson (wine writer)
Hugh Johnson OBE is a British author and expert on wine. He is considered the world's best-selling wine writer.-Career:Johnson became a member of the Cambridge University Wine and Food Society while an undergraduate at King's College, Cambridge in the 1950s, while reading English...
note that in recent years overproduction has introduced a lot of variable quality with some Sancerre blancs producing flavor profiles that are not that much different from generic Sauvignon de Touraine from the Middle Loire, though this varies depending on the producer and overall quality of the vintage.
The styles of Sancerre will vary somewhat depending on what part of the wine region in whih the grapes are produced. Around the village of Bué
Bué
Bué is a commune in the Cher department in the Centre region of France.-Geography:A winegrowing and farming village situated some northeast of Bourges at the junction of the D85 with the D955 and D923 roads. It is one of only a few communes allowed to produce Sancerre wines.-Population:-Places of...
in the western reaches of the AOC, the soils tend to have more clay and produce more full bodied and rounded wines. The village of Chavignol, located to the northwest just outside of Sancerre, has light soils that include a mix of limestone and gravel which produce more perfumed wines. Near Ménétréol-sous-Sancerre
Ménétréol-sous-Sancerre
Ménétréol-sous-Sancerre is a commune in the Cher department in the Centre region of France.-Geography:A winegrowing and farming village situated by the banks of the rivers Vauvise and Loire and the Loire lateral canal, some northeast of Bourges, at the junction of the D9 with the D920 and the D307...
there is more flint deposits and the wines take on more mineral and steely notes. Within Sancerre the three villages of Bué, Chavignol and Ménétréol-sous-Sancerre (and sometimes Verdigny) have become so widely associated with distinctive and high quality wines that they are often referred to as "crus" even though Sancerre is not officially classified like parts of Bordeaux and Burgundy. Still, restaurants in Sancerre will often specify which wines on their wine list come from which of these three villages , while wine producers also try highlighting bottlings from these vineyards by including the village name on the wine label
Wine label
Wine labels are important sources of information for consumers since they tell the type and origin of the wine. The label is often the only resource a buyer has for evaluating the wine before purchasing it...
.
Comparisons to other Sauvignon blancs
Karen MacNeil
Karen MacNeil is an American author, journalist, wine educator and consultant based in Napa Valley. MacNeil is also the creator and chairman of the Rudd Center for Professional Wine Studies at the Culinary Institute of America in St...
note that only very experienced tasters can distinguish the differences in a blind tasting. Broadly speaking, Sancerre tends to have a fuller body with more pronounced aromas, while Pouilly-Fumé wines are more perfumed. However, both wines have naturally high acidity and the potential to exhibit the minerally, flinty notes described as pierre à fusil or gunflint, as well as citrus
Citrus
Citrus is a common term and genus of flowering plants in the rue family, Rutaceae. Citrus is believed to have originated in the part of Southeast Asia bordered by Northeastern India, Myanmar and the Yunnan province of China...
and spicy notes.
Similarly Sancerre is compared to Sauvignon blancs produced around the globe. According to Master of wine
Master of Wine
Master of Wine is a qualification issued by The Institute of Masters of Wine in the United Kingdom...
Mary Ewing-Mulligan
Mary Ewing-Mulligan
Mary Ewing-Mulligan is an American author, wine educator and Master of Wine, the first American woman to achieve this accreditation. She has been the director of the school International Wine Center since 1984, and is executive director of the U.S. programs for the Wine & Spirit Education Trust...
, Sancerre tends to be less herbaceous and grassy than Sauvignon blancs from New Zealand and the Alto-Adige and Friuli-Venezia Giulia region of Italy. Compared to Sauvignon blanc grown in Bordeaux, which are often blended with Semillon
Sémillon
Sémillon is a golden-skinned grape used to make dry and sweet white wines, most notably in France and Australia.-History:The origin of the Sémillon grape is hard to determine. It is known that it first arrived in Australia in the early 19th century and by the 1820s the grape covered over 90 percent...
, Sancerre can be both more concentrated with more racy acidity. When contrasted with New World examples from California, Washington, Chile and South Africa, Sancerre tends to exhibit more assertive mineral flavors.
Appellation details
In 2006, the Sancerre AOC included 6425 acres (2,600.1 ha). The AOC covers the communes of BannayBannay, Cher
Bannay is a commune in the Cher department in the Centre region of France.-Geography:An area of forestry and farming comprising the village and several hamlets situated by the banks of the river Loire, some northeast of Bourges at the junction of the D86 with the D955 road.-Population:-Places of...
, Bué, Crézancy
Crézancy-en-Sancerre
Crézancy-en-Sancerre is a commune in the Cher department in the Centre region of France.-Geography:A farming and winegrowing village situated some northeast of Bourges at the junction of the D22 with the D86 roads...
, Menetou-Râtel
Menetou-Râtel
Menetou-Râtel is a commune in the Cher department in the Centre region of France.-Geography:A winegrowing and farming area comprising the village and several hamlets situated some northeast of Bourges, at the junction of the D85, D86 and the D923 roads...
, Ménétréol, Montigny
Montigny, Cher
Montigny is a commune in the Cher department in the Centre region of France.-Geography:An area of forestry and farming comprising the village and four hamlets situated some northeast of Bourges, at the junction of the D955 with the D44, D59 and D93 roads....
, Saint-Satur
Saint-Satur
Saint-Satur is a commune in the Cher department in central France.It is a medieval town near the Loire River in the former province of Berry.-History:...
, Sainte-Gemme
Sainte-Gemme-en-Sancerrois
Sainte-Gemme-en-Sancerrois is a commune in the Cher department in central France.-Population:-References:*...
, Sancerre, Sury-en-Vaux
Sury-en-Vaux
Sury-en-Vaux is a commune in the Cher department in the Centre region of France.-Geography:An area of vineyards and farming comprising the village and several hamlets situated in the valley of the river Belaine, some northeast of Bourges, at the junction of the D86 with the D57 and D54 roads...
, Thauvenay
Thauvenay
Thauvenay is a commune in the Cher department in the Centre region of France.-Geography:A winegrowing and farming village situated by the banks of both the river Vauvise and the Loire lateral canal, some northeast of Bourges at the junction of the D920 with the D206, D202 and the D159 roads. The...
, Veaugues
Veaugues
Veaugues is a commune in the Cher department in the Centre region of France.-Geography:An area of winegrowing, forestry and farming comprising the village and a couple of hamlets situated by the banks of the small Planche-Goddard river, some northeast of Bourges at the junction of the D86 with the...
, Verdigny and Vinon
Vinon
Vinon is a commune in the Cher department in the Centre region of France.-Geography:An area of winegrowing and farming comprising the village and several hamlets situated in the valley of the Planche-Godard river, some northeast of Bourges, at the junction of the D10 with the D85 and D59 roads...
. Within the appellation there are several highly regarded vineyards, such as the Clos de la Poussie, Chêne Marchand, and Le Grand Chemarin, but since the mid-1990s local regulations have prohibited producers from making vineyard designated wine
Vineyard designated wine
A vineyard designated wine is a wine produced from the product of a single vineyard with that vineyard's name appearing on the wine label. Throughout the history of winemaking and viticulture, the differences in quality between one plot of land and another have been observed with the boundaries of...
s in Sancerre. Some producers have attempted to get around this regulation by abbreviating the name of the vineyard as part of a cuvée
Cuvee
Cuvée is a French wine term derived from cuve, meaning vat or tank. The term cuvée is used with several different meanings, more or less based on the concept of a tank of wine put to some purpose:...
designation such as Jean-Max Roger's bottling of Sancerre Cuvée GC from the Le Grand Chemarin vineyard.
According to AOC regulations, only Sauvignon blanc and Pinot noir are permitted as AOC classified Sancerre wine. While Sauvignon blanc represents the vast majority of the area's production, Pinot noir can account for anywhere from 1/5th to 1/6th of annual production depending on the vintage. The yields of Sancerre blanc are limited to a maximum of 60 hectoliters per hectare while Sancerre rouge and rose are restricted to maximum yields of 55 hl/ha. The minimum alcohol content of Sancerre blanc is 10.5% alcohol per volume while Sancerre rouge and rosé must maintain a minimum alcohol level of 10%. Wines made outside these AOC regulations must be declassified from AOC wines to vin de pays
Vin de pays
Vin de pays is a French term meaning "country wine". Vins de pays are a step in the French wine classification which is above the table wine classification, but below the VDQS and Appellation d'origine contrôlée classifications...
table wine
Table wine
Table wine is a wine term with two different meanings: a wine style; and a quality level within wine classification.In the United States, table wine primarily designates a wine style - ordinary wine which is neither fortified nor sparkling....
such as Vin de Pays du Jardin de France.