2016 Domaine Vigneau Chevreau Sancerre Terres Blanches 750 ml

As Sancerre Prices Skyrocket, A Rare Value Emerges

Sancerre is the gold standard for Sauvignon Blanc worldwide. The eastern Loire Valley simply has more experience than any region with the grape, and it shows. Jancis Robinson declared that in 2016 “Sancerre is thought to be the best of the Sauvignon Blanc appellations” in the Loire Valley. Whether you’re a Sancerre lover or a neophyte, one sip of the Domaine Chevreau Terres Blanches will confirm you’re getting the very best of the Loire’s 2016 offerings. We don’t expect top-quality Sancerre to remain accessible in this price range for very long, especially in premium vintages like 2016, but Wine Access has secured 150 cases of this steal for our clients.

For good reason, Sancerre has become a staple of restaurant lists in most major markets. Crisp, refreshing, and mineral-laden, it’s one of the true contenders for the ultimate “anytime” white table wine. However, while white Sancerre’s popularity has been great for restaurants and importers, it’s been less wonderful for those of us who have long enjoyed the magic of Sancerre for reasonable prices. With more and more of our favorites disappearing into the $30-$40+ range, we’ve had to find new sources for Loire Sauvignon Blanc — without sacrificing quality, of course. Enter Domaine Chevreau.

It’s easy to trace Chevreau’s magic to the confluence of terroir, experience, and attention to detail. The Chevreau family has worked the soil in Sancerre — one of the best types, the Terres Blanches, an ancient lime and clay complex — for decades, having long produced the wines of Château de Crezancy. Nicolas Chevreau, who curates and oversees this bottling, chose a plot of 60-year-old vines, adding to the complexity and concentration of the finished wine. It’s all there in the glass, an increasingly rare shot at affordable Sancerre excellence.