Pre-Shipment Offer

Despite the popularity of the deliciously, fruit-driven and vibrant varieties of Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand and other areas of the globe, none can replicate the fabulous minerality and refined complexities, of a great Sancerre or Pouilly Fume.

I am delighted to send the pre-shipment offer below, on the superb Sancerre and Pouilly Fume wines from Daniel Crochet and Michel Redde. We have had the pleasure of working with both producers for several years now, but it had taken a couple of years of extensive exploration, before I found the quality and style of wines that I had been looking for from these appellations. Tasting the beautifully pure and expressive wines of Daniel Crochet and Michel Redde, was like finally striking gold!

2023 Was A Great Vintage In Sancerre And Pouilly Fume!

Despite the popularity of the deliciously, fruit-driven and vibrant varieties of Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand and other areas of the globe, non can replicate the fabulous minerality and refined complexities, of a great Sancerre or Pouilly Fume.

2023 was a great vintage in Sancerre and Pouilly Fume. Although the region had a period of extreme heat, it was followed by a spell of rain, (35 mm), which increased the juice in the grapes, without causing any dilution. The grapes were harvested in a perfectly healthy, clean condition, with a beautiful balance and no hint of rot. Indeed, it has resulted in a terrific vintage for the wines of both Sancerre and Pouilly Fume.

2022 was also marked by bursts of exceptionally hot weather, but once again the vines benefitted from just sufficient rainfall to relieve the hydric stress. In contrast to previous ‘hot’ vintages, the wines retained a good balance and the Pinot Noirs of Sancerre are quite exceptional, with the potential to offer good longevity.

Domaine Daniel Crochet

Having been thrilled to discover the exciting Sancerre of Daniel Crochet, I had to wait a further two years before they were able to offer us an allocation. What I loved about the wines here, was the wonderfully classic expression, which so beautifully portrays the crystal-clear balance between the aromatics of the Sauvignon and minerality of the terroir, with restraint and finesse. The Pinot Noirs produced here, are equally appealing, offering beautiful purity and fabulous poise and balance. The single vineyard bottlings are a real revelation, offering incredible intensity, complexity and longevity. As an aside, the 2018s that we have in bond are showing superbly now.

Situated in heart of the sleepy commune of Bué, this family Domaine has been around for 4 generations now. It covers approximately 9 hectares, including 6 hectares of Sauvignon Blanc and 3 hectares of Pinot Noir. The vineyards of the property have an average age of 55 years and are planted in high-quality clay and limestone rich white soils and pebbles typical of the region. The estate is also fortunate to have vines in some of the most highly regarded leux-dits of the appellation, including Plante des Prés and Chêne Marchand. This year they have added the Le Grand Chemarin The finesse, balance and concentration found in the wines from these vineyards is truly spectacular.

Across the range, there is a wonderful purity and precision in the wines, which beautifully reflect the real essence of the appellation.

Domaine Michel Redde

From the first tasting of Michel Redde’s Petit F, I knew that my quest was over. Even the Petit F, their young vine, entry cuvee, offers a wonderfully clean, exciting expression of the appellation, that many wines tasted lacked. Moving up the range, to taste the selection parcellaires, I was instantly reminded of my tasting with the late Didier Daguneau. These are exceptional Vins de Terroirs, with wonderful concentration, complexity, tension and finesse, with the potential to offer great longevity.

It might have taken me a while to discover these brilliant Pouilly Fume wines, but this is far from a new name in the appellation. Indeed, the Reddes have been a family of winemakers in this region for 14 generations. Michel Redde, created the domaine ‘La Moynerie’ in 1996. He expanded the vineyard holdings, which now total 42 hectares and through his meticulous work, passion and determination, gained the great reputation that the estate enjoys today. The two succeeding generations are now at the helm, Thierry Redde and his sons, Sebastien and Romain. They vehemently continue their family’s passion for producing Poully Fumés which reflect the unique stamp and expression of their very varied terroirs, including a selection of sensational single vineyard Cuvées. The estate is managed with great respect for the terroir and environment with the wines gaining full organic certification from the 2023 vintage.

As stated above, 2023 was a terrific vintage in Pouilly Fume. Michel Redde started the harvest on the 14th September. The wines are beautifully balanced, possessing a wonderful ripeness with an almost exotic fruit profile on certain cuvees, combined with the fabulous fume, flinty, saline, minerality and lovely, vibrant acidity.

Please note, the wines will be shipped in September for delivery early October.