2021 Domaine Raimbault-Pineau Sancerre Blanc 750 ml

Three vintages ago, Domaine Raimbault-Pineau was one of our absolute top Sancerres. A member-favorite and a bestseller, it occupied a prime spot in the hearts—and cellars—of the Wine Access community.

Then frost struck in 2019—slashing yields at the domaine—while worldwide demand went through the roof. We were shut out, but determined.

We’re finally able to announce the return of this classic Sancerre, and the 2021 is a rousing success. From a tough vintage that still resulted in “high quality” wines, according to Decanter, this is an outstanding, perfectly proportioned bottle. 

In 1946, right after the end of WWII, Lucien Raimbault was able to do something that his ancestors could not: He purchased vineyards in Sancerre.

Before he staked the family’s permanent claim, 10 generations of Raimbaults had been farming the chalky hillsides of the eastern Loire—a history that now reaches back four centuries. Today, the 13th generation of the family continues to work the original Sancerre plot purchased by Lucien in 1946, as well as 40 separate parcels of Sancerre vines, all located around the village of Sury-en-Vaux. 

They now craft their benchmark wines from an unparalleled tapestry of lots, giving them a brilliant set of raw materials to blend from—something especially useful in the 2021 vintage—which translates to quality in the glass.

The difficult year started with frost wiping out a third of the crop in Sancerre. In the wet, humid summer, mildew damage took vignerons’ losses beyond 50%—but the season was saved by a miraculous, sunny and dry end. When the grapes were pressed, it became clear that the end product was going to be fantastic—full of racy, bright wines like this one.