Sancerre, the consummately food friendly white of the Loire Valley, is a wine that almost wasn’t. Originally dedicated to Pinot Noir, Sancerre would not be replanted with Sauvignon Blanc if not for the destruction of phylloxera, a root-attacking louse brought from the US that devastated vineyards through France in the 1800s. Seeing the promise of this grape in Sancerre’s chalky soils, producers quickly became converts.
Our featured producer, Domaine Bailly-Reverdy, owes much of its success to Sancerre’s affinity for food. In 1956, after the marriage of Bernard Bailly and Marie-Thérèse Reverdy a few years previous, the estate got its foothold in the market by focusing on selling to restaurants. The Parisian bistro scene fell in love with the crisp citrus and mineral focused Sancerres, and it was not long before the US market followed suit.
Today, Domaine Bailly-Reverdy is in the hands of its third generation of growers who continue the tradition of respecting the land through such methods as cover cropping and harvesting each grape by hand. The 2015 vintage was an exceptional year—hot and dry with rain at just the right time, allowing the winemakers full liberty to harvest only when the grapes were at their ripest.
For our featured wine, the 2015 Bailly-Reverdy Sancerre Chavignol, this gives a wonderful citrus nose and bright acidity meshed with a beautiful honeysuckle floral note. White peach turns to a more savory note as the wine develops on the palate, even including an intriguing hint of honeycomb wax. This wine lives up to the reputation of Sancerre as a friend of food. One particularly perfect match would be goat cheese, such as the locally produced Crottin de Chavignol. The acid will cut through the rich creaminess of the cheese, leaving the palate refreshed for the next bite. Another match would be many types of seafood. Sancerre is my go-to wine when serving scallops! With just a dash of lemon, the scallops mesh beautifully with the citrus notes and minerality of Sancerre.
The 2015 Bailly-Reverdy Sancerre Chavignol is not only a delicious wine, but is a great value as well! We are able to offer this bottle at only $24.99, making it a great choice for your summer drinking!