François Crochet Sancerre Blanc Exils 2023

Francois Crochet farms ten hectares of biodynamic vineyards around the village of Bue, on the western slopes of Sancerre in the Loire. He is the third generation of his family here, and works the flinty, siliceous soils that characterise this side of the appellation. Exils is his most ambitious white: rather than the usual quick stainless steel handling, the Sauvignon Blanc spends an extended period in French oak barrels. That long barrel ageing takes the wine well beyond typical Sancerre. Lees contact and the slow oxygen exchange through the wood build texture and soften the grape's naturally high acidity, adding a nutty, waxy weight while the cool Loire climate keeps the fruit fresh. The colour is deep gold. The nose is layered, with lemon and white peach over beeswax, hazelnut, vanilla and a struck-flint smokiness that runs back to the soil. On the palate it is broad and savoury, the oak framing ripe citrus and stone fruit, with honey and roasted nut on a long, mineral finish. Serve at 11 to 12 degrees in a large glass, and give younger bottles a short decant.