Jean-Dominique and Jean-Laurent Vacheron

We never have enough Vacheron Sancerre to make it through to the next vintage. It’s not that Vacheron Sancerre is merely a great Sauvignon Blanc—it is, hands-down, the benchmark for the appellation.

The reasons why our selection from this organic/biodynamic estate is a must-have are easy to number. For one, you simply will not find a purer expression of Sauvignon Blanc. The Vacheron family has been tending its perfect vineyards organically for years—no chemicals, no nasty additives, no unnatural manipulation. The family too claims some of the top vineyard real estate in Sancerre—this is certainly no low-land, flabby and monochromatic Sancerre, churned out by the truckload. Vacheron Sancerre is hand-crafted from some of the region’s finest hillside vineyards, land that’s been in the family for generations. Location matters—and Vacheron Sancerre is terroir you can taste.

But what’s seriously exciting about a vintage like 2008 is just how expressive this wine is, how perfectly Sancerre in spirit and soul. You’ll find classic aromas of chalk dust and firecracker smoke, with an added juicy suggestion of grapefruit and tropical fruit like guava. Then comes the stony Sancerre punch, the reason we can’t get enough of Sauvignon Blanc from this estate. The energy of this wine just does not stop. Long in the mouth, with an almost stone-fruit complexity and loads of citrus power, this is exactly the sort of wine that you want on the table because it is so flexible. There is of course the classic pairing of Sancerre and goat cheese, but you can do better than that. Sushi, cracked crab, pastas with a touch of cream, roast pork with candied kumquats and rosemary—the sky’s the limit.