Domaine Claude Riffault - Sancerre "Les Denisottes" 2023 (750ml)
Price: $55.99
| Producer | Domaine Claude Riffault |
| Country | France |
| Region | Loire Valley |
| Varietal | Sauvignon Blanc |
| Vintage | 2023 |
| Sku | 203820 |
| Size | 750ml |
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Domaine Claude Riffault Description
Stéphane Riffault (Claude’s son and now the owner of the estate) is turning out Sancerre bottlings that are the envy of many producers twice his age. As David Schildknecht put it, “Make no mistake: this address in the hamlet of Maison Salle (Sury-en-Vaux) is now one of the five or six most exciting estates in the Sancerre appellation.”
Based in the village of Sury-en-Vaux, Stéphane Riffault works 33 different parcels in 8 different lieu-dits spread across four villages. Unlike most Sancerre producers, the entire harvest is carried out by hand, and extensive sorting occurs before the grapes are crushed. Stéphane’s wife, Benedicte, leads the harvest team while Stéphane manages the sorting and press during harvest.
Most of the domaine’s holdings are planted on the soft limestone soil called terres blanches, with some parcels on calliottes and silex. Minor, judicious uses of oak help to add length to the already precise, site-expressive, and vertical bottlings. All the parcels are vinified separately and all the wines are bottled unfiltered.
Having studied and worked in Burgundy (and closely with Olivier Leflaive), it’s easy to see the Burgundian influence in Stéphane’s wines. The mastery of minerality standing shoulder–height with the wood is rarely duplicated in Sancerre. Regardless of his parcels’ exposition (many are south-facing), Riffault’s wines are always crisp and highcut with a jeweled delineation that speaks to the precision and attention these wines get. These are not your daddy’s (or his daddy, Claude’s) Sancerres.
Sancerre Les Denisottes Les Denisottes comes from a lieu-dit located quite close to the domaine’s cellar. Here the terres blanches soils are deeper and more pebbly than rocky and producing a richer style of Sancerre – one that requires a longer élevage in barrel, and released with a greater capacity to age.
Vinous: 91-93 Points
Still undergoing its élevage in wood, the 2023 Les Denisottes has surprising freshness akin to a shot of caffeine. It may not be as concentrated or rich as the 2022, but this wine shows promise. It positively sings like a soprano, clear and pure with energy and drive.
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