The vineyards of Sancerre are situated 200km to the South of Paris on hilly countyside between 200 and 400 meters altitude. The Pascal Jolivet Domaine covers 74.25 acres, with vineyards for the Sancerre appellation close to the villages of Bué, Verdigny and Ste Gemme. The Loire to the East bank and the surrounding forest create a relatively mild micro climate for the vineyards. The philosophy of the estate is to allow nature to take its course, as much as possible. The grape juice is fermented naturally, without adding cultivated yeasts in conjunction with thermoregulation. The wines from each different soil type are fermented separately so to allow the terroir to fully express their differences and similarities.

The 2021 Pascal Jolivet Sancerre is fresh, clean and screaming with racy acidity. On the palate it is fresh and tightly wound; acidity is tempered by very subtle residual sugar; very clean; alive, racy, youthful. Overall, a dry and elegant wine. 

There was the grassiness and citrus fruit flavour, of course, but equally prominent was a creamy texture that gave padding to the high acidity, as well as mineral complexity that tasted steely as well as stony to me. This cuvée is a blend from three different soil types across four different villages, with a majority coming from limestone sites. Perhaps it is this blend that captures Sancerre with such prototypically. Richard Hemming MW