Description
Domaine La Croix Saint-Laurent, Sancerre Blanc
In addition to finding screamers for our Daily Offers, I am forever on the hunt for wines that will work for our monthly “Blind Six” club shipment. This blind-tasting kit is shipped to members with the bottles wrapped in black tissue paper, so their identities can be kept secret until after the taster has taken a crack at identifying them blind. The wines in the six-pack must be the kinds of wines that would be considered “testable” on professional exams—i.e., wines that hail from the most classic wine regions and grape varieties in the world. Sancerre and Sauvignon Blanc certainly qualify as classic, but not every bottle that crosses my desk hits the mark; far from it, in fact. In recent years, I’ve found that global warming has particularly affected the freshness found in classic expressions of wines from the region, even from the hands of some of its best producers.
I’ve also found that despite the change in balance, prices within the region have continued to steadily rise, which makes my craving for a value like today’s even stronger. Domaine La Croix Saint-Laurent’s newly released 2020 hit us all like a lightning bolt and struck me immediately as an ideal “Blind Six” wine and Daily Offer alike: For blind tasters, you couldn’t ask for a more textbook Sancerre—put your nose in the glass and there’s nothing else it could possibly be. For Daily Offer buyers looking to stretch their white wine dollar to the outer limits, this racy, structured Sancerre will carry you through the summer months on a tidal wave of citrusy acidity and wet-stone minerality. We all know that Sancerre belongs among the greatest white wine appellations of the world, but it’s nice to get confirmation nonetheless—especially at this price point!
Domaine La Croix is located near Bué, just a few miles southwest of the village of Sancerre. The estate dates back to the early 19th century and is now in the hands of Joël and Sylvie Cirotte, two talented winemakers with a passion for organic farming. Today, Joël and Sylvie are teaching their two children, Fabien and Marie, the ins and outs of their style, which is pretty straightforward: farm organically, ferment spontaneously, and age entirely in steel to preserve fruit and natural acidity. Currently, the Cirottes own about 10 hectares of vines dedicated to Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir, most of which range from 55 to 70 years in age.
Beyond the vines’ age, what really makes Sauvignon Blanc from Sancerre special is its old Kimmeridgian soils that date back over 150 million years. In the past, Sancerre (and really most of France) used to exist under shallow ocean waters, which created the region’s calcium-rich limestone that vines are rooted in today. The vineyards are basically a cemetery for decomposed seashells, which is what creates such distinct and mouthwatering minerality in the wines grown from these soils. This is essentially the reason why French wines, specifically Sauvignon Blanc from in and around Sancerre, are near impossible to emulate outside of the region.
In the glass, the wine shows a pale straw core and moves to a green-tinged rim. On the nose, the wine exudes every aspect of textbook Sancerre that you could want: green peach, lemongrass, passionfruit, mango peel, and all of the citrus. Upon first sip, you can immediately feel the texture and weight from the region’s Kimmeridgian soils, yet any sort of perceived excess is imminently zapped by laser-like acidity and refreshing notes of crushed oyster shells. Flavors of preserved lemon, green mango oil, and thyme-heavy herbaceousness lead to a mineral-laden finish.
Beyond the quality-to-price ratio, what I love most about Domaine La Croix’s Sancerre is its laser-sharp focus on balance. While neighboring vignerons are allowing their wines reveal a riper side of Sancerre, Joël and Sylvie are constantly in pursuit of a more restrained style. To me, this is quintessential Sancerre in one of its most brilliant forms. I’d recommend buying a case and drinking it over the next few years, as this bottle is suitable for year-round drinking, from summer barbecues to chilly winter nights that scream for something textured and beyond. Classic expressions of Sancerre scream for fish dishes drenched in citrus or salads studded with fresh goat cheese. Decant for 10-15 minutes and let it creep up to 45-50 degrees. I prefer to sip this wine from a large Burgundy glass, though really any glass will do. When Sancerre is “on” like this, it’s really tough to beat. Enjoy!
