Crisp, Delightful Sancerres from Domaine Vacheron

Last week, I spent two days tasting through organic wines at Millésime Bio, a trade show held in Montpellier, France. SudVinBio, an association of organic Languedoc-Roussillon winemakers, who sponsored the fair and my trip, gathered some 700 organic winemakers from 12 countries for this event. I mingled through the booths, stopping to taste and talk with winemakers. I spent most of my time focused on Burgundy, the Loire Valley and Southern Rhone winemakers, and I found more than a few new (to me) producers to get excited about.

Jean-Louis Vacheron is passionate about Sancerre, and his wines show it.

One such producer was Domaine Vacheron of Sancerre. I had a blast tasting through their single-vineyard Sancerres and talking to winemaker, Jean-Louis Vacheron. Talk about terroir-driven wines, Domaine Vacheron wines are dripping with a sense of place. Their regional blend is awesome, but the single-vineyards, based in different soils, represent everything I love about Sancerre. This was the first producer I visited during the fair, and honestly, one of my favorites of the fair.

2012 Domaine Vacheron Sancerre

Clean and fresh on the nose, with lemons, oyster shells and limestone. Crisp, nervy on the palate with tons of minerals and electric acid. Good length and depth. Yet there’s some roundness from the grapefruit and lemon fruit. For a “basic” wine, very impressive. (89 points)

2011 Domaine Vacheron Sancerre “Les Romains”
Lime, oyster shells, a slight herbal note on the nose. Rich texture but zesty acid. Key lime, green melon, tons of slate and mountain stream and mineral notes. Brisk, but also some creamy aspects. A beautiful young Sancerre. (91 points)

2011 Domaine Vacheron Sancerre “Guigne-Chèvres”
Floral, melon, lemon and smashed brick on the nose. Nervy acid, bright gooseberry and melon rind flavors. Intense minerality here, and I love it, yet it has a lot of depth and some weight on the mouthfeel. Another impressive wine from Vacheron. (90 points)

2011 Domaine Vacheron Sancerre “Chambrates”

Smells of melon, lemon-lime, crushed shells and rocks. Creamy melon and lime fruit on the palate, crisp and mineral-driven. (89 points)

2011 Domaine Vacheron Sancerre “Le Paradis”  
Gooseberries, mineral and a slight sage element on the nose. Limestone-driven, crisp acid and a creamy mouthfeel. Green apple peel and lime flavors, so pure and lovely with a long finish. (89 points)

2013 Domaine Vacheron Sancerre
Some apricot and honey on the nose, yellow flowers. More green than the other wines, with peach and melon fruit. Great acid and length though, complex minerality. (88 points)

2013 Domaine Vacheron Sancerre Rosé
Roses and McIntosh apple on the nose. Crisp, clean, mineral city on the palate. Red apple peel, strawberry and wildflowers, limestone on the finish. Not as much depth as some of the other wines, but well-made. Tasted from a tank sample, but I'd love to taste this again in six to nine months to see how it comes together once bottled. (87 points)

2009 Domaine Vacheron Sancerre Rouge
Soft cherries, slight smoke and roses on the nose. Smooth palate with tart strawberries and red currants. Nice concentration and acid, pure and attractive with notes of berry compote, earth and white pepper. Sexy stuff. (90 points)

2009 Domaine Vacheron Sancerre Rouge “Belle Dame”  

Darker berries on the nose, more roses and violets than the basic Sancerre Rouge. Great concentration, but fresh and balanced. Berry compote, earth, white pepper, loam, it's all seamlessly tied together. Long finish with notes of rocks and roses. Delicious stuff, I'd love to taste it again with a few more years on it. (91 points)

Waves of Champagne

This is what New Year's eve is about, getting together with good friends and drinking Champagne. We started off at Weygandt Wines in Cleveland Park for a serious of Champagnes, many of which were vintage-dated (meaning all the wine comes from that vintage), and many of them came from Grand Cru rated vineyards. It was a great collection of wines, and a lot of fun for wine nerds and casual wine drinkers alike. We had a few non-Champagnes thrown in for good measure.

Here are some notes for your reading pleasure...

2006 J.L. Vergnon Champagne Confidence Brut Nature Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru - France, Champagne
Aromas of apple, hazelnut and some waxy, somewhat oxidized aromas. The palate is zingy with lots of slate, lime, green apple and mineral-driven intensity. This is a bold and unabashed Champagne, but it has a lot of complexity. A lot of people loved this wine, and I think it has a long and increasingly complex life ahead of it. (91 pts.)

N.V. Chartogne-Taillet Champagne Brut sainte-Anne - France, Champagne
This was one of the few non-vintage wines of the tasting, but it was really impressive. The aromas were very perfumed, showing orange rind, hazelnut and baked apple. The palate is bone dry, with searing acid and tangy minerals. The flavors of seashell and limestone are pure and vibrant. I love this style of Champagne, and this is a really solid bottle. (90 pts.)

2002 Eric Rodez Champagne Grand Cru Brut - France, Champagne, Ambonnay, Champagne
What a beautiful Champagne. Kevin, Val, Alexis and pretty much everyone loved this wine. Pretty golden color. Aromas of yellow apple, honey, biscuit and sea shell. The palate is rich and intense, but the chalk and minerals keep it balanced. It's very bold, but complex and subtle as well. Amazing. (92 pts.)

N.V. Eric Rodez Champagne Cuvée des Grand Vintages Grand Cru - France, Champagne, Ambonnay, Champagne
Floral nose, apricot, sweet orange rind. On the palate, I get a lot of apricot, orange sorbet. This one could've used a bit more acid to keep it balanced. (87 pts.)

2008 Albert Mann Crémant d'Alsace - France, Alsace, Crémant d'Alsace
We had this back at my house after the tasting. White peach on the nose, lemon and some sea salt. The palate is really zingy, with lots of minerals, brine, lemons and white peach. Always a good wine for the price, but this is definitely a wine to serve with oysters or shellfish. (88 pts.)

2005 Henri Maillart Champagne Extra brut 1er cru Les francs de pied - France, Champagne
This Champagne was golden colored in the glass. The aromas showed apricot, honey and caramel. The palate is rich with apple, honey, but also balanced by minerals and tight acid. Wonderful finish. This is very intense right now, and I'm sure it would benefit from a long time in the cellar. (91 pts.)

1999 Salon Champagne Brut Blanc de Blancs - France, Champagne, Le Mesnil Sur Oger, Champagne
Tim brought this wine, and it showed very well. The nose is just incredible, full of intense lemon, lemon cream pie, honey, sherry and intense minerals. The palate is creamy and mouthfilling, with delicious honey and apricot flavors, matched with intense saline, mineral and lemon rind flavors. I love the cocounut and yellow apple flavors as well. Long finish. This is still a very young wine, and I'm sure it will develop for many years. Still, it was a great wine to have on New Year's Eve. Thanks, Tim! (94 pts.)

N.V. Schramsberg Vineyards Mirabelle Brut Rose - USA, California, North Coast
I brought this wine, and it turned out to be the only U.S. sparkling wine. It was really popular for its freshness and ripe fruit. It's a gorgeous copper color in the glass. The nose shows lovely strawberry, white cherry and seashell. The palate has medium acid, lively and juicy white cherry, red apple and strawberry. Fruity, but fresh as well. I was surprised by the complexity of this wine as it had some air. (89 pts.)

N.V. Giesler & Cie Champagne Extra Superior Cuvee Demi-Sec - France, Champagne
Someone brought this back from Champagne with them. Beautiful golden color. The nose shows smoke, almonds and roasted chestnut. Over time, it opened up to show more caramel apple and apricot. The palate is smooth and creamy, with hazelnut, apricot and almond paste. There's obviously some sugar, but the acid balances it out. This was a big hit with a lot of people. Any palate would appreciate this wine. (89 pts.)

2007 Domaine des Lambrays Clos des Lambrays - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos des Lambrays Grand Cru
I last tasted this wine in April of 2010, and I like it even better now. It had been opened for several hours, which probably helped open it up. The color is a beautiful cranberry-auburn. The aromas on this wine are just jawdropping. The nose showes gorgeous soft cherries, rose petals, loam and some toast. The palate has silky tannins and some hedonistic cherry fruit, but it's balanced by lovely acid. What a delicious wine with a long life ahead of it. This was the wine of the night for several people. (93 pts.)

2009 Gerard & Pierre Morin Sancerre Rouge Bellechaume - France, Loire Valley, Upper Loire, Sancerre
I really like this pinot. It's got a lot of red plum, licorice and cranberry on the nose. The palate is fresh and juicy, with lots of sour cherry, cranberry and hints of tobacco. This was a nice way to finish off the evening. (88 pts.)

Newly-Released Wines

I stopped by my favorite wine shop, Weygandt Wines, on a Thursday night to taste some of their new releases. Most of the wines were from the 2010 vintage, which is apparently spectacular all over Europe. I brought a 2010 riesling from my recent trip to the Mosel Valley, and it showed very well. It was a great time, with great people and discussion. This tasting was another example of why I'm going to be buying lots of French wines from the 2010 vintage. In Austria and Germany as well, 2010 is just a great vintage, and I can't wait to stock up on them.

2010 Kurt Angerer Grüner Veltliner "Kies" - Austria, Niederösterreich, Kamptal
I love how kurt angerer can put out a $20 gruner veltliner of this quality. The nose shows lime, grapefruit and slate. The palate is really spicy and full of acid. Flavors of grapefruit rind and slate. This is a really compact wine that will probably show better with a littler air or time in the bottle. Great stuff. (90 pts.)

2010 Weingut Jacob Steffen Erben Kestener Paulinshofberg Riesling Kabinett trocken - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
I bought this wine back from my trip to the Mosel Valley and popped it for some friends. I liked this wine a lot, and it seemed to be quite a crowd-pleaser. Perfumed nose with white flowers, lychee and white peach. the palate has great acid, chalk and minerals. On the midpalate, I get a flavor that reminds me of almond or chestnuts. Slate and lime linger on the finish. (90 pts.)

2010 Catherine et Pascal Rollet Mâcon Solutré-Pouilly Domaine de la Chapelle - France, Burgundy, Mâconnais, Mâcon Solutré-Pouilly
I've enjoyed this wine in the past, and am excited to report that the 2010 is quite a steal. The nose shows lemons, salt and nuts. It's plump on the palate, and really zesty, but it's backed up by green apple fruit and hazelnuts. A very balanced chardonnay from a great viontage at bargain price. (89 pts.)

2010 Château de La Greffiere St. Véran - France, Burgundy, Mâconnais, St. Véran
pear and green apple on the nose. the palate is really creamy with buttescotch and hazelnut. lots of pulpy fruit. not as balanced as i'd like. (86 pts.)

2010 Domaine Auchère Sancerre - France, Loire Valley, Upper Loire, Sancerre
This was my first Sancerre from 2010, and what a good one. Aromas of lemons, slate and seashells. The palate is fresh and the acid is kicking. I love the key lime, orange rind and slate. This is a powerful, intense Sancerre that is really enjoyable. (90 pts.)

2009 Yannick Amirault Bourgueil La Coudraye - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Bourgueil
Dark purple color in the glass. The nose is a wonderful medley of black olive and black cherries, and I also get a distinct paprika and even a curry aroma. I love the nose. The palate is a pure burst of fresh cherry fruit. The tannins are chewy and it's all wrapped up with flavors of meat, olive and iron. This is a more bombastic style of cabernet franc, but I really enjoyed it. (90 pts.)

2010 Daniel Bouland Côte de Brouilly Cuvée Mélanie - France, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Côte de Brouilly
The 2010 beaujolais wines are very impressive. This is no exception. It's very aromatic, showing fresh strawberries, cherries and some soil. The palate is plump and fresh with solid tannic structure. I like the plum and jolly rancher flavors, and also the iron flavor on the finish. This is tightly-wound now, and I think it'll get better with years in the bottle. (89 pts.)

2007 Mas Martinet Priorat Menut - Spain, Catalunya, Priorat
Each time I taste this wine I'm impressed by the power, elegance, balance and price. For $20, it doesn't get much better than this. Fresh raspberry and smoke on the nose. The palate is full of fruit, highlighted by just the right amount of vanilla and oak. Delicious wine. (90 pts.)

2009 Château La Fleur Morange Mathilde - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion
This is my first 2009 Bordeaux, and I enjoyed it a lot. 100% old vine Merlot. The color is dark purple. The aromas show plums, tobacco and fresh tilled soil. The aromas point to Bordeaux, but the palate is full of California sunshine. Dark plums, vanilla coke and black cherries lead the way. The oak and smooth tannins add a creamy mouthfeel to this wine that I just find irresistable. It's drinking well now, but could use some time to mellow out a bit. (92 pts.)

2010 Domaine des Soulanes (Cathy et Daniel Laffite) Vin de Pays des Côtes Catalanes Kaya - France, Languedoc Roussillon, Roussillon, Vin de Pays des Côtes Catalanes
Lots of paint and spices on the nose. This is a really big wine that could use some time or a decant. There's an explosion of blueberry and blackberry fruit, along with some dusty tannins. (88 pts.)

5 Wines Under $25

One of my favorite wine stores of all time is back up and running. Weygandt Wines in Washington DC's Cleveland Park neighborhood is re-launching with a great new selection of under $25 wines. They still have their classic offerings from Burgundy, Rhone and Germany, as well as an incredible selection of Austrian rieslings and gruner veltliner's from one of my all-time favorite producers, F.X. Pichler.

I stopped by the shop and tasted through five wines, all priced at less than $25. There is serious value out there in Old World wines, and I was impressed at how well these wines showed. The three pinots were all great, which is quite an achievement considering their low price point. Anyway, here are some notes... Cheers! Remember: drink well; drink cheap.

2008 Domaine des Cassagnoles Gros Manseng Vin de Pays des Côtes de Gascogne (France, Southwest France, Gascony, Vin de Pays des Côtes de Gascogne)

this wine is made from 100 percent gros manseng. the color is very light straw. the nose shows grass, flowers and green pears. the palate shows fresh acidity and delicious, tangy lemon-lime flavors. at $12, this wine is a steal, and a no-brainer for scallops, light pastas or salads. (86 pts)

2009 Christophe Denizot Givry Domaine des Moirots (France, Burgundy, Côte Chalonnaise, Givry)

i was surprised by the amount of funkiness on the nose. it's matched with bright red fruit as well, so it's interesting. the palate is bright with acid, it has a solid tannic structure. rich cherry fruit and a distinct iron note. this is a complex wine, but it's also straight up delicious and showing very well right now. this is a steal at $24. (90 pts) 

2009 Gerard & Pierre Morin Sancerre Rouge (France, Loire Valley, Upper Loire, Sancerre)

this pinot noir is really exciting, especially at $25. it's gorgeous purple in color, and the aromas are great: flowers, red currants, plums and just a little bit of loam. the palate is rich with red cherry fruit and dark chocolate, but the iron-like minerality and the fresh acid make this a balanced package. i really enjoyed it, and i think this wine could please pretty much any palate. (90 pts) 

2009 Gerard & Pierre Morin Sancerre Rouge Bellechaume (France, Loire Valley, Upper Loire, Sancerre)

this pinot noir was much richer in style. the nose was full of flowers and dark cherries. i really liked the silkiness of this wine, and the rich cherry and cranberry fruit. (88 pts) 

2010 L'Oustal Blanc (Isabel et Claude Fonquerle) Vin de France K (France, Vin de France) 

this 100 percent carignan is a gorgeous purple color in the glass. it smells like plum cake and blackberry sauce. the palate is really dense and rich. the alcohol shows a bit at 15%. there's a lot of sweet blackberries and milk chocolate on the palate. if you like fruit bomb syrahs, this wine is for you. (87 pts)

Loire Wines to Remember

It’s hard to describe Loire Valley wines in broad terms. Home to 87 different appellations, the wine region is as expansive as it is inexhaustible. There are so many great wines from the Loire Valley that you could drink a bottle of Loire wine every night for the rest of your life and never get bored. I’ve always found it interesting that wines from the Loire, while ranking up there with the best in the world, are made from grapes you won’t find on many people’s favorite lists: chenin blanc, sauvignon blanc, cabernet franc, gamay and muscadet, to name a few. The distinctiveness of these wines, their diversity, their ability to age and improve for generations, it is all part of what attracts me to this region.

Loire wines have quite a heralded history. Romans planted the first vineyards there during the 1st century AD. The wines thrived in quality and reputation throughout the Middle Ages. In their time, wines of the Loire were even more prized that those from Bordeaux. I fell in love with Loire wines in the summer of 2005, when I started drinking light, refreshing, delicious whites from Muscadet, Anjou-Saumur and Vouvray. As a recent graduate of journalism school, it also helped that many of these wines were surprisingly well-priced. It was a 2002 Baumard Quarts de Chaume, a sweet chenin blanc with impeccable intensity and balance, that really did me in. Since then, I haven’t been able to get enough of the wines of this region.

So I was obviously excited about getting together some great friends and fellow Loire-ophiles for a night of Loire Valley wines. Ripple, a great new restaurant in Washington D.C.’s Cleveland Park neighborhood, was gracious enough to host us, provide us with lots of wine glasses, and deal with our wine-filled rants and outbursts. This tasting was everything I thought it would be. The range of wines we tasted was tremendous, encapsulating most of my favorite wines from the region. So, I’ll get right down to it. Here are my tasting notes (more like love letters) from the evening:


Opening SparklerWe started off the night with this vintage sparkling vouvray from one of my favorite Loire producers.

2002 Huët Vouvray Pétillant Brut - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Vouvray Pétillant
this sparkling vouvray was a great way to start the evening. gorgeous nose of nougat and lemons. linear palate, great acid and weight. chalky mouthfeel with lush white peach flavors. long finish. (90 pts.)


Sauvignon Blanc
Sancerre has always been my go-to sauvignon blanc, so I was happy to try these two. The Dagueneau was in a whole different class.

2005 Pascal & Nicolas Reverdy Sancerre Vieilles Vignes - France, Loire Valley, Upper Loire, Sancerre
the first sauvignon blanc of the night was a solid one. lemon and grapefruit on the nose. quite rich on the palate with white peach and green apple. creamy mouthfeel. this one didn't have as much acid as i like in my sancerres, but it was still a great wine. these grapes saw some great sun in 2005, and it shows in this wine. (88 pts.)

2007 Gerard & Pierre Morin Sancerre Le Chêne Marchand - France, Loire Valley, Upper Loire, Sancerre
this sancerre was a bit closed down at first, and showed hesitant aromas. with time, this opened up to show lemon and flowers and seashells. the palate was surprisingly rich, almost plump on the palate. this is a really intense wine. i love how the acid and minerality comes out on the finish to leave the palate feeling cleanses. this is a really good wine, and it got better over the course of the evening. (89 pts.)

2007 Didier Dagueneau Pouilly-Fumé Pur Sang - France, Loire Valley, Upper Loire, Pouilly-Fumé
didier dagueneau (may he rest in peace) was an artist of the sauvignon blanc grape. this is one of the most beautiful sauvignon blanc i've ever had. the nose shows rich mango fruit, lime and honey, but also some chives and minerals. plush on the palate, but lively. the balance is superb. tons of fruit, but also rosemary, jalapeno and slate. long finish. this is a fantastic wine. (93 pts.)

Chidaine Montlouis-sur-Loire Clos de Breuil Mini Vertical
Chidaine is a great producer of chenin blanc. It was fun to taste the differences among these three vintages.

2007 François Chidaine Montlouis-sur-Loire Clos du Breuil - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Montlouis-sur-Loire
this was the first chenin blanc of the night and the first of a mini-vertical tasting of the chidaine's clos du breuil vineyard. at first i was wondering if this was an off bottle because the nose showed some strange elements: a little bit of must and aroma that reminded me of a sheep. that blew off after a bit, and the palate showed no signs of a fault. smooth fruit flavors: bruised apple, honey and some white tea. less acid than i was expecting. (87 pts.)

2008 François Chidaine Montlouis-sur-Loire Clos du Breuil - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Montlouis-sur-Loire
this was much different than the 07. the nose is a burst of energy: grapefruit, flowers, honey. such a complex nose. the palate shows a lot creaminess and balance. the flavors of honeycomb and peanut brittle are rich and delicious. but there's also great acid that keeps it balaned and fresh. what a beautiful wine. (91 pts.)

2009 François Chidaine Montlouis-sur-Loire Clos du Breuil - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Montlouis-sur-Loire
the nose on the 09 showed more subtlety than the 08. aromas of sea salt, soap and white flowers. ripping acid on the palate, much more so than the 08 and 07. a little too much acid for me, but this went very well with the food. lemon, grapefruit and saline flavors and a medium finish. (89 pts.)

I Still Love Sancerre

2006 Pascal & Nicolas Reverdy Sancerre Les Anges Lots
Five years ago, I tasted a few Sancerres that really changed my view of the sauvignon blanc grape. I couldn't get enough of them. Then, over the past three years or so, I lost some of my love for them. maybe I just got tired of the mediocrity of many Sancerres. And there certainly are some mediocre ones out there, and overpriced. But this Sancerre is phenomenal. The aromas explode with green apple, lemon pie crust and minerals. Right away, the wine hits the palate with a rich, creamy mouthfeel. It then transitions into a zesty, razor beam of acid and minerals. This wine is full of minerals, honeysuckle flowers and lemon curd. This is a gorgeous wine that has improved with age and reminded me of what a good Sancerre can really do.
90 pts