2019 Jean-Pierre Vacher et Fils Sancerre Rose 750 ml

We discovered this Jean-Pierre Vacher et Fils Sancerre Rosé at a Paris bistro on a drizzly April night a few years ago and couldn’t get it out of our heads. Contrary to the blustery elements outside, the wine was like peak summer captured in a bottle—with all the ballet slipper-pink, sun-kissed refreshment we love in classic French rosé, heightened by a chalky, terroir-driven mineral zing that can only come from Sancerre.

Likewise—upon trying to source it back home—we learned this Vacher et Fils Rosé could only come from Paris. Until now, that is. After waiting (not so) patiently for years, we locked in the US exclusive on the very first vintage from this tiny producer that has ever been exported outside of France. And at $24, the 2019 is even better than the bottle we happily paid twice as much for in the City of Lights.  

Right out of the gate, this is simply a captivating rosé. Bright aromas of strawberry, raspberry, and crisp red cherry continue on the palate, along with an elegant minerality that evokes the stony chalk soils that put Sancerre wines on the map. The region’s signature crisp acidity cuts through the Pinot Noir’s rounded mouthfeel, keeping it refreshing and lifted. A captivating pairing with the sole meunière that accompanied it in Paris, it’s pretty perfect on its own as well.  

We were intrigued from the get-go when we saw this wine listed at the little bistro across from the Théâtre du Châtelet. Due to its proximity to the Loire, Paris is the place to discover new names like Jean-Pierre Vacher et Fils, a Sancerre producer that was new to us, and while we love a good Pinot Noir from the region, a rosé is even rarer.  

Especially one that’s as thoughtfully made as this. Vacher & Fils is a small grower label by Jean-Pierre Vacher, recently joined by his son Jerome and daughter-in-law Karine, who wanted to develop a loyal following by exclusively selling the wines to locals within France until recently. 

From 25-year-old vines on their 25 acre estate, south facing slopes ensure the grapes capture enough sunshine to give the wine its red berry character, with none of the tropical notes of its more southerly counterparts in Provence. A crisper, more austere expression, the Vacher family intentionally grows this Pinot Noir to be rosé—not simply a byproduct of a red flagship label. 

As a result, the grapes are raised and hand-picked specifically with this rosé in mind, ensuring that the finished wine is the best version of itself instead of playing second fiddle to any rouge. That level of detailed attention paid to this wine is clear in every focused sip, which is why we’ve kept our own focus so ardently fixed on Vacher & Fils since that rainy night at the bistro.

We couldn’t be more thrilled to have the exclusive on this incredible, value-conscious Sancerre rosé. Especially now that it’s now possible to enjoy it without having to spend an April in Paris!