2018 Domaine Jean-Max Roger, Sancerre “La Côte de Bué” Loire Valley, France.
The gorgeous and nicely aged 2018 Jean-Max Roger La Côte de Bué cuvée is a golden hue in the glass and he fully developed medium bodied palate shows of a complex and mineral driven array of bright, but mature lemon/lime, peach compote, quince and muskmelon flavors, along with a hint of gooseberry, snappy herb, white flowers and chalky wet stone. The La Côte de Bué has a directive terroir, of Kimmeridgian marl soils and has a perfect exposure with south-east slopes, with up to 50% grade, which explains the intensity and depth here. I love Sauvignon Blanc when it is older and has got loads of secondary evolution going on with the earthier tones and the most subtle or elegant side emerges, plus the textural pleasure, and this Jean-Max Roger 2018 La Côte de Bué, which is from close to the original family estate and winery, highlights the best of Sancerre with some time in bottle. Etienne and Thibault Roger are crafting some very compelling wines at their family estate from organic vines and some distinctive parcels. 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 and the wine matures on the heavy lees of fermentation, in a combination of stainless steel and used 400L French oak barrels.
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 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 Roger family comes from a long line of winegrowers from the village of Bué, according to their American importer, Massanois, and the first texts that mention the family name date back to the early 17th century. Jean-Max Roger took over the four hectares of vines left to him by his parents in the early 1970s and expanded the estate to its current size, 36 hectares in the Sancerre, Menetou-Salon, and Pouilly-Fumé appellations. Now Etienne and Thibault, who came back to work at the estate after various professional experiences in France and abroad have elevated the wines here and put themselves into the top tier of producers in the region, with these artisan and authentic offerings. This wine really impressed me and I think it can age another 5 to 7 years easily, it was the star of a recent (mini) Loire tasting, but the current releases are lovely and exciting efforts too.
($60 Est.) 95 Points, grapelive