Appellation: Sancerre
Sancerre, the most famous appellation of the Centre-Loire, produces the most imitated Sauvignon Blanc wines in the world. The chalk and flint soils are ideal for fresh, fruity Sauvignon Blanc and perfumed, elegant Pinot Noir. Wine making has a long history in Sancerre. Gregory of Tours wrote of vineyards here in 582 and local wines enjoyed a good reputation as long ago as the twelfth century.
The vineyards lie on a series of hillsides dominated by the "Piton" or peak of Sancerre. The geology of the soil includes three kinds of terroirs. Terres Blanches ("white earth") is compact chalk on top of kimmeridgean marl and is characteristic of the western part of the region; Les Caillottes is gravel and limestone; Silex (Flint) soil is found in the eastern vineyards. Each type of soil produces wines of differing character. Some producers like to blend wines from the three terroirs for balance, while others prefer to let the character of the terroir determine the character of the wine. Although it is not common practice, some producers will age exceptional wines in wood. These wines develop an exceptionally rich flavor and a pungent floral bouquet after several years in the bottle.
White Sancerre is lively and fruity. Its aroma suggests both citrus fruits (especially grapefruit) and the mineral-rich soil in which it was grown. The aroma of red Sancerre suggests Morello cherries. The wines are light bodied and supple with a long finish. They, like the white wines, are ideally suited to the goat cheese for which the Centre-Loire is also famous.
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Loire365 Factoid
What's In A Name?
Long before the concept of varietals had been invented (and when the same grape often had many different names), French winegrowers and wine makers had discovered that wines from one village or vineyard were very different from wines from the neighboring village or hillside. This is why French wines (including those of the Loire Valley) are identified by “appellations” or place names rather than by the grapes from which they are made. The words Appellations d’Origine Controlee, or the letters AOC on a label indicate that a wine is made in accordance with strict regulations that allow the producer to use the appellation.
