Henri Bourgeois, Sancerre, Vigne Blanche 2023 - 75cl
La Vigne Blanche takes its name from the pale, chalky ground it grows on — the terres blanches, slopes of Kimmeridgian clay and limestone running between the village of Chavignol and Sancerre itself. It is exactly the sort of terroir that gives Sauvignon Blanc a spine rather than just perfume. The Bourgeois family have farmed here for ten generations, and while they now make wine as far afield as New Zealand, this is home ground.
The winemaking is worth knowing, because it shapes the glass. The fruit ferments in temperature-controlled stainless steel, then rests five months in older oak barrels on its fine lees — no new-oak vanilla, just a rounding of the edges and a savoury, biscuity depth under the fruit. The 2023 leads with grapefruit and passion fruit, a green lift of elderflower and ivy, a streak of kiwi. Underneath runs that chalk-driven minerality the terres blanches are known for. The palate is juicy and precise, more textured than a stainless-steel-only Sancerre, with a clean saline finish.
Drink this young, while the aromatics are singing — it is at its most charming over the next two or three years. It makes a fine glass to start an evening, but it has enough flesh to carry through a meal rather than fade after the first course. A bottle for a long lunch when the weather turns warm.
How to Serve
Serve well chilled at 8-10°C in a standard white wine glass — no need for anything oversized. Skip the decanter; this wants freshness, not air. If it comes out of the fridge stone cold, let it sit ten minutes so the lees texture can show.
Where to Drink It
J Sheekey in Covent Garden, where a plateau of shellfish and a cold Sancerre is close to a perfect order. The Wolseley for an all-day table and something bright by the glass. Wiltons on Jermyn Street for Dover sole in the grand old manner.
Food Pairings
Goat's cheese from just up the road in Chavignol is the classic and it is classic for a reason — a warm crottin salad sings against the acid. Otherwise, grilled prawns with plenty of lemon.
