2023 Pascal Jolivet, Sauvignon Blanc “Attitude” Vin de France, 100% Loire, France.
Maker of all organic, excellent and studied Sancerre, Pascal Jolivet now has a fresh and value priced Attitude, all Loire Valley grown Sauvignon Blanc, which I just got to sample and it is an easy to love, minerally crisp and brightly focused white with good tangy varietal character in the glass. Not as serious as his fabulous cru series of Sancerre, this lighter style Attitude Sauvignon Blanc makes for a great starter course wine and a no guilt bargain with zingy lemon/lime, gooseberry, tart peach and melon fruits, along with a burst a saline, wet stones and leafy herbs. In the late 1990s Pascal Jolivet became a must have for Sancerre lovers world wide with a string of exceptional wines, and that is when I personally started admiring his racy Sauvignon Blancs. In recent years the winery has been certified organic and all chewiness see natural fermentations in stainless steel with long cool ferments with no additives and extended lees aging, seeing very low sulfur. This one is all about the freshness and doesn’t go too long in tank, and is ready to go right away, while the upper end Sancerres enjoy long cellaring.
Maison Pascal Jolivet started in 1987 when winemaker and wine merchant Pascal Jolivet created his own label to increase sales and explore his his own talents and then in 1990 built his now famous Loire Valley with a focus on Sancerre and his rise in fame begin in earnest. Jolivet’s wine-making cellar in Sancerre was equipped with state of the art temperature controlled stainless steel tanks and 1993, Pascal acquired from his cousins a beautiful vineyard of six hectares (15 acres), which is located in some of the greatest terroirs in the region, including Le Chêne Marchand, Le Grand Chemarin and La Plante des Prés, which really helped the winery jump up into the elite class. Now the collection has about a dozen single lieu-dit and special cuvée bottlings of Sancerre, as well as Pouilly-Fumé, a Sancerre Rosé, and a set of regional offerings, including this newer Attitude 100% Loire Vin de Franc Blanc. The clay-limestone (soil) and Kimmeridgian terroir, and old vines, bring out the very best in Sauvignon Blanc, with Pascal Jolivet’s iconic Sancerre prove that, especially his Cuvée Sauvage and Clos du Roy versions. But if you are just getting into Loire Valley wines, this Attitude Sauvignon Blanc is a tasty starting point.
($20 Est.) 88 Points, grapelive