Sancerre

Sauvignon Blanc is usually my wine of choice, so I was very excited to discover a French wine made exclusively from this grape called “Sancerre.” Sancerre comes from the Loire Valley in France. Only the wines produced around the hilltop town of Sancerre are allowed to bear the name. Sancerre is one of the original wines produced from the Sauvignon Blanc grape and sets the world standard for Sauvignon. It is slightly spicy and fruity, but crisper and tangier than other wines made from the same grape in the United States and New Zealand. This is due to the cool Loire Valley climate. Sancerre is also considered one of the best white wine matches with food. Ironically, it was the featured wine on, “Simply Ming,” a cooking show which aired on PBS TV Sunday.

I purchased my first bottle of Sancerre from Sendiks in Brookfield, Wisconsin. There were three varieties to choose from. The wine manager recommended the Pascal Jolivet for $21.49. Of course it was the most expensive of the three, but he guaranteed it to be the best. I went with his recommendation even though it was over my usual ten dollar wine allotment.

The wine label describes Pascal Jolivet as a specialist in the Loire Valley wines of Sancerre and Poully-Fume, with an estate covering several exceptional vineyard sites. They intervene as little as possible in their wine making, preferring not to add yeasts and allowing each wine to accentuate its aromas through long, slow cool fermentations. This expressive Sancerre - entirely Sauvignon Blanc - is very aromatic, dry and refreshing with a delicate note of lime blossom.

After sampling, I can not say that the 2003 Pascal Jolivet is the best white wine I have ever tasted, but I definitely was not disappointed.