For today’s tasting , our Wine Director, David Allen MW was delighted to discover he had made a mistake and purchased a red Sancerre instead of the white he thought he was buying. This is a happy mistake as Domaine Vacheron are one of the best and most highly-reputed producers of Red Sancerre. The wine in question is Domaine Vacheron’s Sancerre Belle Dame Rouge 2019.
Domaine Vacheron is a highly-regarded producer in Sancerre, in the Loire Valley region of France. Run today by fourth-generation winemaking cousins, Jean-Laurent and Jean-Dominique, Vacheron. The domaine adopted complete biodynamic practices in both the vineyard and cellar in 2005. Producing both wines from Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir, they are considered to be one of the best producers in the region.
With vineyard holdings totaling almost 50 hectares (120 acres), the change over to biodynamic practices was done to allow the distinct terroir of Sancerre to be showcased in the wines. Domaine Vacheron is planted on silex soils, which is clay and limestone based, topped off with flint.
This type of soil gives the wines a particular minerality and saltiness, as well as a trademark smoky quality. The white Les Romains and red, Pinot Noir-based, Belle Dame, wines are particularly known for this.
The Vacherons produce numerous Sancerre blancs including the aforementioned Les Romains, as well as Guigne-Chèvres (just around the corner from the Les Romains site), Paradis, Chambrates, Le Pavé, and L’Enclos des Remparts. A rosé, a Sancerre rouge and the Belle Dame cuvée complete the selection.
While many producers in Sancerre focus more on white varieties than red, Domaine Vacheron also places great importance on its Pinot Noir, which makes up approximately 20% of their production.
In the vineyard, everything is hand-harvested and the only fertilizer allowed is compost. In the cellar, tanks are the main vessel for fermentation, while a minimal amount of oak is used on the vineyard-designate offerings – aging in the cellars of the domaine in central Sancerre town.
Discover more about this wine, its pricing and availability on Wine-Searcher:
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