New Zealand – and more specifically Marlborough – is now thought of as the main home of Sauvignon Blanc for the average wine drinker.  But Savvy’s time there is measured in decades, not centuries, and its success there would not have happened if it had not created a global reputation in its original homeland of the Loire Valley.  Of all the Loire appellations, Sancerre is the name which carries the biggest cachet and is still thought of as a style leader.

But what is that style?  The Sancerre appellation covers 15 villages with three main soil types:

• Clay & limestone, aka “white soils”, including some Kimmeridgean marl (we aren’t that far from Chablis here) which lend body and power to wines
• Gravel & limestone which give lighter, more delicate wines
• Flint, the famous “silex” soils which give very aromatic wines with pronounced mineral notes that can be capable of long ageing

Sancerre was the Sauvignon Blanc I tried and loved, over twenty years ago, so it still has a special place in my heart.  Here are two from the current SuperValu French Wine Sale that are worth seeking out:

Disclosure: both bottles were kindly sent as samples, opinions remain my own

Guy Saget Sancerre 2019

The Saget family originally come from Pouilly-sur-Loire, the other side of the river from Sancerre, and still have a base there (Domaine Saget).  However, they have expanded their operations over the past few decades to encompass around thirty different appellations to showcase the wines of the whole Loire under the Guy Saget label.

Guy Saget wines are currently made by Laurent Saget using grapes from long term contract growers.  Their vines are mainly on Kimmeridgian soils.  No oak is used at any point to help preserve fresh fruit flavours; stainless steel tanks are preferred and bâtonnage is carried out over the six month maturation period.

On the nose there are intense grapefruit aromas, accompanied by gooseberry and a hint of grass.  These notes continue onto the palate but there is also a striking stony mineral tone.  Rather than just grapefruit juice this fruity aspect is more like chomping down onto a few juicy grapefruit segment which explode into your mouth.  This is a delicious, accessible Sancerre which can brighten up your day.

• ABV: 13.5%
• RRP: €19.66 down to €14.76 from 3rd to 23rd Sept (plus buy any 6 bottles save €10 from 3rd to 16th Sept)
• Stockists: SuperValu stores and supervalu.ie

La Perrière Mégalithe Sancerre 2017

In contrast to Guy Saget, La Perrière only make Sancerre wines.  There are several in the range, however;

• Straight Sancerre in white, rosé and red versions (the latter two obviously made from Pinot Noir)
• Two different Comte de la Perrière bottlings, one from flinty Silex soil and one from marl & gravel Caillottes soil
•  A flagship red Sacrilège grown on chalk and limestone soil
• A flagship white Mégalithe grown on silica (Silex!) soils which is the wine we have here.

After a gentle pressing, the juice for Mégalithe is split two ways; 60% of the must is fermented and matured in stainless steel tanks, but 40% receives an altogether different treatment.  This portion is fermented in 300 litre (“Cognac type”) barrels made from Allier oak (a top source of oak barrels that is conveniently close to Sancerre).  Maturation is for eight or nine months during which frequent bâtonnage takes place.  Both the inox and barrel matured wines are blended together before bottling.

The first sniff of Mégalithe reveals that this is a totally different wine to the Guy Saget, even though they are both AOC Sancerre.  There are citrus notes but they are in the background; the foreground is occupied by smoke, wood, nuts and vanilla.  The palate is creamy, yeasty and tangy.  This is a wonderfully expressive wine which is great to drink now but will reward several years’ patience with more development and integration.

• ABV: 13.5%
• RRP: €31.48 down to €21.64 from 3rd to 23rd Sept (plus buy any 6 bottles save €10 from 3rd to 16th Sept)
• Stockists: SuperValu stores and supervalu.ie

Conclusion

One little bit of information I didn’t mention above was that Guy Saget and La Perrière are part of the same group: Maison Saget La Perrière.  The Guy Saget Sancerre is available at SuperValu all year round but the Mégalithe is a “special guest” only available during the French Wine Sale; this makes perfect sense when you consider their relative styles.  The Guy Saget is a real crowd pleaser, fruity and accessible, though still showing Sancerre’s mineral streak, whereas the Mégalithe is much more of a focused wine that might not be to everyone’s taste, but is undoubtedly a more accomplished wine.

To compare with a Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, the Guy Saget is more like Kevin Judd’s regular Greywacke whereas the Mégalithe is more like his Wild Sauvignon.  Liking one doesn’t mean you would like the other, but you owe it to yourself to try them both!

In many ways these wines reflect what happens when you go up the price scale of wine in general; wines become better, but often a little more niche.  When comparing more expensive wines the differences are more often in style than to quality per se.  Try both!

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SuperValu French Wine Sale posts:

• Béziers & Cahors Reds
• Gustave Lorentz Pinot Blanc
• Guy Saget & La Perrière Mégalithe Sancerre

 

 

**Click here to see more posts in the Make Mine a Double Series**