François Crochet Le Petit Chemarin 2022

Le Petit Chemarin is a single-vineyard Sancerre from François Crochet, based in the village of Bué in the Loire Valley. Crochet took over the family estate in 1998 and farms it organically. Sancerre lies on the eastern edge of the Loire, and its whites are built on Sauvignon Blanc grown over Kimmeridgian limestone and flinty clay soils. These calcareous and stony soils, along with the cool continental climate, give the wine its high acidity and the flinty minerality the appellation is known for. The grapes are pressed and fermented cool to protect the aromatics, then the wine is aged on its fine lees. That lees contact releases mannoproteins that soften the texture and add a savoury depth while keeping the wine fresh and precise, with no oak used to mask the fruit. The colour is pale with a green tint. The nose is aromatic, with lemon and white flowers over a green, thyme-like herbal note and a smoky, flinty edge. The palate is dry and crisp, with green apple acidity, citrus peel and a saline, mineral finish. Serve at 8 to 10 degrees.