2024 Jean-Max Roger, Sancerre Blanc “Cuvée Les Caillottes” Loire Valley, France.
I recently tried the Jean-Max Les Caillottes Sancerre Blanc, which is a tasty Sauvignon Blanc with a bright profile of lemon/lime, gooseberry, white peach and grapefruit fruits, as well as a light herbal tangy edge, wet stone, steely mineral tones and loads of zippy acidity. This pale greenish/gold hued Sauvignon Blanc is vibrant and light framed on the palate with a delicate textural quality. The Cuvée Les Caillottes is a blend of grapes, as the winery notes, sourced from a selection of plots in the villages of AmIgny, Sancerre and Vinon, which they say fully expresses the stony calcareous “caillottes” terroir it hails from, that clearly comes through in this 2024 version. For this wine, the grapes are whole cluster juiced, with an immediate gentle pneumatic pressing and a cold settlement for between 48 and 72 hours to drop out phenolics and solids before fermentation. The fermentation was done by all natural yeasts with temperature control in stainless steel to add to development of the complexity of aromas and promote freshness. The wine matures on the heavy lees of fermentation until the first racking which occurred between February and April, without malos, with the wine seeing a light finning and filtration, as well as cold stabilization to keep everything crisp and vibrant. The Sancerre bottlings are then rested a few months in bottle and tasted before release to be sure each cuvée is ready to go.
The Sancerre Blanc (region) was one of France’s original AOCs being awarded in 1936, with the same area being designated for red wines later in the year 1959. The Loire Valley’s Sancerre region is also part of an outcroping of the ancient chalk that runs from the White Cliffs of Dover all the way down through Champagne and Chablis! The Jean-Max Roger estate the village of Bué was founded in the early 1970s, when Jean-Max Roger took over the 4 hectares of Sancerre vineyards left to him by his parents, which he operated with his wife, Nicole until now, with his sons Thibault and Etienne having truly defined the style here since taking control in 2005. The winery says that this cuvée may be enjoyed on its own as an aperitif, though it is (best) showcased when matched with all types of seafood, including crustaceans, shellfish, and raw or cooked fish. It may also be paired with white meats (poultry, veal) and cheeses, with the classic goat’s milk “chevre” and or blue cheeses in particular. I like the authentic nature of these Jean-Max Roger wines, especially this rewarding Sancerre Cuvée Les Caillottes, which I enjoyed with some Hog Island oysters and some farm cheeses recently. The terroir is highlighted by these Sancerre vineyards, Saint Martin, L’Epée and other famous crus within Bué, Amigny and Sancerre, which see a southern and southwest exposure and the classic limestone called ‘caillottes’ here. I love the purity and subtle austere style here, there’s noflash or pretense in this transparent Sancerre, and look forward to following this estate and trying more from their lineup soon.
($35 Est.) 91 Points, grapelive