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2020 Sancerre “Les Cris”
Daniel ChotardFloral and inviting, this bottle is a real charmer. Simon Chotard’s wife, Juliette, says it makes her nostalgic for childhood, when in springtime the inebriating scent of white blossoms on the schoolyard trees mingled with the smell of fresh chalk on the blackboard. Try it with a seasonal salad of cannellini and garbanzo beans tossed with crunchy green peas and olive oil lime zest vinaigrette, all topped with freshly chopped parsley and mint. Delicious!
—Emily Spillmann
Wine Type: | white |
Vintage: | 2020 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | Sauvignon Blanc |
Appellation: | Sancerre |
Country: | France |
Region: | Loire |
Producer: | Daniel Chotard |
Winemaker: | Simon Chotard |
Vineyard: | 30 years average, .9 ha |
Soil: | Clay, Limestone, Kimmeridgian marl |
Aging: | After 8 months, wine is transferred to tank for 3 to 5 months and then 3 to 5 months in bottle. Total aging is 14 to 18 months.. |
Farming: | Lutte Raisonnée |
Alcohol: | 13.5% |
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Simply gorgeous, the Cris is sublimely perfumed, generous on the palate, and long and saline on the elegant finish.
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About The Producer
Daniel Chotard
About The Region
Loire
The defining feature of the Loire Valley, not surprisingly, is the Loire River. As the longest river in France, spanning more than 600 miles, this river connects seemingly disparate wine regions. Why else would Sancerre, with its Kimmeridgian limestone terroir be connected to Muscadet, an appellation that is 250 miles away?
Secondary in relevance to the historical, climatic, environmental, and cultural importance of the river are the wines and châteaux of the Jardin de la France. The kings and nobility of France built many hundreds of châteaux in the Loire but wine preceded the arrival of the noblesse and has since out-lived them as well.
Diversity abounds in the Loire. The aforementioned Kimmderidgian limestone of Sancerre is also found in Chablis. Chinon, Bourgueil, and Saumur boast the presence of tuffeau, a type of limestone unique to the Loire that has a yellowish tinge and a chalky texture. Savennières has schist, while Muscadet has volcanic, granite, and serpentinite based soils. In addition to geologic diversity, many, grape varieties are grown there too: Cabernet Franc, Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, and Melon de Bourgogne are most prevalent, but (to name a few) Pinot Gris, Grolleau, Pinot Noir, Pineau d’Aunis, and Folle Blanche are also planted. These myriad of viticultural influences leads to the high quality production of every type of wine: red, white, rosé, sparkling, and dessert.
Like the Rhône and Provence, some of Kermit’s first imports came from the Loire, most notably the wines of Charles Joguet and Château d’Epiré—two producers who are featured in Kermit’s book Adventures on the Wine Route and with whom we still work today.
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Normally $356.00
SPECIAL SAMPLER PRICE $267.00
(a 25% discount)
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This delectable 12-pack puts the Loire’s abundant viticultural diversity on full display: sparkling Chenin Blanc, plus crisp and mineral Melon de Bourgogne, and more.
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Kermit once said...
Kermit once said...
I want you to realize once and for all: Even the winemaker does not know what aging is going to do to a new vintage; Robert Parker does not know; I do not know. We all make educated (hopefully) guesses about what the future will bring, but guesses they are. And one of the pleasures of a wine cellar is the opportunity it provides for you to witness the evolution of your various selections. Living wines have ups and downs just as people do, periods of glory and dog days, too. If wine did not remind me of real life, I would not care about it so much.
Inspiring Thirst, page 171