Description
Domaine Vacheron, Sancerre Blanc “Les Romains”
This morning, Domaine Vacheron’s best-in-class Pinot Noir. Now, their single-vineyard “Les Romains,” a regal, profoundly textured, full-bodied Sauvignon Blanc that likely holds Grand Cru status in a parallel universe. This is one of the domaine’s oldest single-vineyard cuvées, and although it’s routinely the star of their stellar lineup, today’s 2020 is the finest I’ve tasted in many years.
Biodynamic farming, old vines, pure flint soils, cask aging, and an exceptional vintage all combine to create an unforgettable, top-tier French white that deserves a specific elevated experience. Here’s what you do: Invite over some Loire oenophiles, serve “Les Romains” in Burgundy stems, and taste it alongside a wheel of goat cheese, preferably the Loire’s prized Crottin de Chavignol. It’s one of the most brilliant “simple” pairings on earth, right up there with Krug and fried chicken (I still make a concerted effort to do this whenever a bottle of either enters my home). After hosting the above tasting, which is guaranteed to thrill, find a dark, cool spot in your cellar for your remaining bottles because they promise to evolve into an exotic and deeply enriching tour de force in 3-5 years.
It’s getting increasingly difficult to write about Vacheron because they continue to outdo themselves. The Vacheron cousins, Jean-Laurent and Jean-Dominique, take a decidedly “Burgundian” approach in the vineyards and cellar, vinifying their wines parcel-by-parcel to showcase different terroir expressions. Most of their vineyards—34 hectares of Sauvignon Blanc and 11 of Pinot Noir—are planted on silex (flint), like today’s “Les Romains.” It’s one of the many single-vineyard bottlings the Vacherons make, each one showcasing a unique combination of soil type, exposition, and microclimate. Although there are other famous “cru” bottlings from Sancerre—like the various expressions of the “Les Monts Damnés” vineyard—no one in Sancerre offers the diversity of terroir expression found in the Vacheron lineup.
Certified since 2005, Jean-Laurent and Jean-Dominique were relatively early adopters of biodynamic viticulture, and their natural approach is reflected in the purity and pulsating energy of their wines. They plow their soils, fertilize with natural compost, plant cover crops between the rows of vines, and hand-harvest much smaller yields than their neighbors. The pristine grapes are gently pressed then fermented with only natural yeasts in large wooden tanks. Upon completion, the wine is racked and aged in wood for one year before bottling without filtration.
Vacheron’s 2020 “Les Romains” is a luxurious, high-impact wine that’s built to age: In the glass, it’s a classic straw-yellow with hints of green at the rim. It’s rich and deeply aromatic with powerful aromas of guava, gooseberry, green mango, fleshy white peach, Makrut lime, grapefruit zest, candied green apple, wild herbs, white pepper, saffron, and warm spices. The palate is medium-plus in body and loaded with ripe, supple textures that expand in all directions as the wine takes on more air. I recommend starting with a 30-minute decant before tracking your bottle over the course of an evening (or two). Cheers!
