2019 Vincent Gaudry, Sancerre Blanc, Le Tournebride, Loire Valley, France.
The 2019 Le Tournebride Sancerre from Vincent Gaudry is bright and beautifully pure with impressive concentration and lively natural acidity showing crystalline detailing to make it standout in a crowd, this is absolutely delicious terroir driven Sauvignon Blanc, not to be overlooked. The freshness and impressive mouth feel highlight the fact that this wine is made in the vines, not in the cellar, Gaudry is highly praised for his farming and this Sancerre is proof with expressive layers of lemon/lime, white flowers, gooseberry, white peach and chalky melon notes leading the way along with a cool toned steely core, a touch of herb, wet stone and pithy tang. The crisp and aromatic cuvée “Le Tournebride” comes from all three parcels in Sancerre, with different soils, including terres blanches (Kimmeridgian marl), caillottes (weathered limestone) and flinty silex, all playing parts. The grapes, all organic, were hand-harvested and fermented with indigenous yeasts in stainless steel, then aged close to ten months in the tank and is bottled unfined and unfiltered.
With old vine grapes grown mainly on flinty Silex soils Gaudry was the first Biodynamic producer in Sancerre, and some of this wines are crafted in the same way as the classic Dagueneau Pouilly-Fume’s are, these intense Loire Valley mineral driven Sauvignon Blancs that are naturally imbued with density and volume on the palate. Gaudry has blocks that are massale selections with 90 year vines, proving him with exceptional fruit to make incredible Sancerre, like this basic stainless steel tank version that is right up there with Vacheron and Hippolyte Reverdy, along with the Scorpion cuvee that is barrel fermented and aged, like Dagueneau, as mentioned and the likes of Cotat and Boulay, as well as plus an exceptional whole cluster Sancerre Rouge (Pinot Noir) that is mind-blowing. These are all worth chasing down and enjoying over the next few years, with this Le Tournebride being outstanding with all sorts of cuisine choices. I love the way this wine plays with your palate, it has just the right amount of brisk tension and textural pleasure vying for your attention, this is exactly what I look for in a Sancerre.
($32 Est.) 92 Points, grapelive