A wine to make you fall in love with a European classic all over again.
From €22.35, $27.99, £24, NZ$49.99, 635 rand, AU$60, 4,928 Japanese yen, HK$298, SG$59
If you need proof that the 2021 harvest in Sancerre was a cool one, look no further than the gloomy photo above, taken from the Instagram page of renowned producer Pascal Jolivet. The year was, by all accounts, a nightmare vintage across the region as in much of France, with capricious weather that led to ravaging frost and mildew. Yet Pascal Jolivet's 2021 Sancerre survived these onslaughts to prove exactly how expressive Sauvignon Blanc can be in the right hands.
This faithful reflection of terroir felt particularly striking when I tasted this wine last month. I am guilty of choosing Sauvignon Blanc far too rarely, perhaps from overexposure to the 'Savalanche' of potent New World examples that have dominated the wine market since I started in wine 22 years ago. So it was a particular pleasure to rediscover the more subtle tones within this bottle, justifying its description as Sancerre first and foremost, rather than its grape variety.
There was the grassiness and citrus fruit flavour, of course, but equally prominent was a creamy texture that gave padding to the high acidity, as well as mineral complexity that tasted steely as well as stony to me. It was an almost synaesthetic experience that had me crunching over rocks through a vineyard thrumming with life beneath a wide cobalt sky. Not much like the weather in the above photo after all, but evocative even so. The finish is persistent, with lemongrass aromas and savoury citrus fruit that is appetising and moreish.
This cuvée is a blend from three different soil types across four different villages, with a majority coming from limestone sites. Perhaps it is this blend that captures Sancerre with such prototypicality – the single-site cuvées that Jolivet makes were very impressive but more stylised, and perhaps less representative of the Platonic ideal of Sancerre.
Pascal Jolivet, no stranger to these pages, is a relative newcomer to the region. As Jancis explained in 2016, the family has roots in the region, but the brand itself was established only in the 1990s. Today, it can be mentioned in the same breath as stalwart names such as Dagueneau, Cotat or Vatan as a producer that represents Sancerre (and neighbouring Pouilly-Fumé) at its best. That makes the wines more expensive than most Sancerre, but it is still a relatively small price to pay for a wine that epitomises an appellation so well.
The inconstant conditions of Sancerre's 2021 vintage may well have helped this typicality, in the spirit of triumphing over adversity, so I would recommend buying this vintage while you can. It certainly has the concentration and balance to age well for much longer than you might give it credit for, and will last for several summers at least. Wine-Searcher lists multiple suppliers across Europe, Asia and the US, with New Jersey apparently a Jolivet hot-spot, boasting no fewer than 33 listings. Who knew?
Loire fans should also check out Tam's recent review of the best wines of Muscadet.