France

Les Déserts is steep, sun-drecnhed vineyard overlooking Bué that borders Chavignol. This cuvée is a selection of about one third of the one-hectare holding— vines were planted in the 1990s on clay-limestone, "Terres Blanches" from the Kimmeridgian geological stage, rich in fossilized seashells. Manual harvest with strict sorting of clusters or parts of clusters altered or insufficiently ripe, 20% is vinified in medium-aged oak barrels of a wine, 80% is vinified in vats at a low temperature, indigenous yeasts and the lees are suspended regularly to feed the wine until spring. Bottling takes place in late-spring after a light filtration.

An exciting new source! Proprietor Remy Graillot is completely committed to making some of the finest wines of the region from his old vineyards in the heart of Sancerre. 

From the importer: The Neveu family is fortunate to own land in the Clos des Bouffants, an unusually steep parcel with a very poor, thin soil composed of rocky limestone. Facing due south, the Sauvignon here receives generous sunshine to produce an ample, concentrated wine.

True to its terroir, it possesses striking nerve and minerality that underscore the mouthfilling citrus flavors. This is serious Sancerre made by a family whose roots in the region date back to the twelfth century.

Matthias Planchon is a talented and determined young winemaker, representing an old line of winemakers in Sancerre. He broke with the family tradition of selling his grapes to negociants or taking them to the Cave Cooperative in Sancerre. He took over the domaine in 2014 and, until 2018, collaborated with Alphonse Mellot by selling him his grapes. Alphonse Mellot confirmed his decision to work with organic and even biodynamic viticulture. The vines are located in Sancerre, with the superb limestone terroir of “Le Paradis” adjacent to the domaine's cellar. In total, the domaine covers 5.5 hectares, part of which is still sold to negoce Alphonse Mellot, leaving only 4,000 bottles of whites and 600 of reds bottled under the domaine's name. The white wines are bright, pure and intense in flavor, and after decanting reveal a rare saltiness and mineral-articulated length on the palate. These are wines built with a vertebrate column, the result of a huge amount of work in the vines to match the vines to the rock. Le Paradis brings the generosity of limestone, embraces the contours of the mouth and unfolds in length. Matthias vinifies 30% of the grapes in barrels of 500-600L, the rest in stainless steel.