$44.99 with shipping included on 6 bottles or more

The relatively bountiful Sauvignon Blanc harvest of 2023 along the Loire Valley followed three out of the four previous that were, at best, parsimonious, and, at worst, devastatingly sparse.  As a result, there still is a dearth of excellent Sancerre in the market.  Wines from the top producers are still hard to get and costing plenty, especially since our government has decided to add even more. 

That said, a great bottle of Sancerre, arguably the world’s apotheosis of the Sauvignon Blanc grape, still costs, pound for pound, a lot less than a white Burgundy of similar relative quality and a wine like Brochard’s top cuvee at $45 still seems like something of a value.  The property itself dates back to 1900 but has, since 2022, been owned by the Bollinger Champagne group who have invested a ton of resources into improving what was already one of Sancerre’s top addresses.  

Château de Thauvenay is a single estate of 30+ year-old vines located near the Loire Canal sitting on white Kimmeridgian chalk.  This makes for a more intense, concentrated style of Sancerre with a lot of fruit on top of its mineral frame.  Aged only in steel, there’s no wood to get in the way of all that Sauvignon goodness.  We love its fresh citrus blossom, mint tea, rose-like nose that gives way to a rich, forward palate hinting at pineapple, dry honey and blood orange.  The finish, though, is pure Sancerre slate and petrichor.  It’s a lot of wine!  We think it will only get better over the next five to seven years. 

This is definitely a bigger style of Sancerre that will pair well with richer fare like Coquilles Saint Jacques, whole grilled fish or grilled sausage and herb-stuffed game hens.  If you want to go classic, the baked goat cheese and herb salad is always a winner!  Drink now.