Tasting Notes: The Sancerre Domaine du Carrou comes from multiple vineyards in and around the village of Bué, some planted on chalky calcaire in the first set of hills to the west of Sancerre, o... thers on caillotte (super rocky limestone parcels), more on Kimmeridgian marl, and fewer on silex soils nearest the Loire. In the glass, the wine has a limpid, shimmering, pale yellow-green color, with flashes of polished silver at the edge. Aromas of kaffir lime, grapefruit oil, almond blossoms, and lemongrass move in and out of the foreground, sometimes alternating with fleeting suggestions of clingstone peaches, dried honeycomb, and almost fully ripe cassis as the nose evolves in the glass. On the palate, the wine is sapid and generous, at the same time reined in and precise, with a delicately spicy kernel of white nectarines joining the grapefruit oil and lemongrass, all seasoned with intense saline minerality that persists through the long, elegant finish. Drink now for the wine’s electrifying energy and primary fruit, or tuck away in a cool dark cellar for five years or more. Read More
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If you can keep up with Dominique Roger on a brisk climb through his immaculate, steep vineyards, you’ll learn a lot more about wine, and maybe find that you suddenly care a lot more about who grows it and where it comes from than you ever did before. Dominique manages Domaine du Carrou in Bué, one of the 14 communes in the Centre-Val de Loire that is located in the Sancerre appellation. Since the 17th century, 8 generations of the Roger family have produced wines in the Bué area of Sancerre, which is known for exceptional terroir and producing complex wines. Today, the estate consists of 11 hectares (27 acres) of vineyards, with 7.5 hectares (18.5 acres) planted to Sauvignon Blanc and 3.5 hectares (9 acres) planted to Pinot Noir. In the vineyards, Dominique takes care to respect the environment when working the soil, and he skillfully prunes the vines to allow the grapes to reach optimum maturity. After hand-harvesting, Dominique and his workers select clusters one by one to further ensure grape quality. All of these practices reflect Dominique’s motto: “Pas de grand vin sans raisins d’excellence,” or “There are no great wines without excellent grapes."
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The Loire River runs 635 miles from the Cévennes Mountains in southeastern France to the Atlantic Coast and flows through (or near) over 60 different appellations. During its long history, the hillsides along the banks provided well-drained soils on which to grow grapes, and the river itself provided a transportation network to outside markets. Before phylloxera destroyed the vineyards of Sancerre (on the left bank of the Loire, south of Orléans) in the late 19th Century, the best vineyards were reserved for Pinot Noir, while the white grape Chasselas, produced wines that often found itself shipped to Champagne for blending. After phylloxera, Sauvignon (blanc) proved most successful when grafted to American rootstock, and with a rising fashion for white wines, became the dominant variety in the region. The more ancient red wines of Sancerre were not even recognized by the AOC until 1959, with a restriction (only lifted in 1982) that limited Pinot to less favorable vineyard sites.
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The Sauvignon Blanc grape originated in France, and this vigorous vine gets its name from the French word “sauvage,” meaning “wild.” Depending on the climate and soil type, Sauvignon Blanc wines vary in terms of aromatics and flavor profile. In general, maritime and cooler climate areas, such as the Loire Valley, seem to be particularly well suited to Sauvignon Blanc. General characteristics of wines produced from this variety include citrus fruit (grapefruit and lime), and grassy or herbal aromatics, with a high acidity.
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Goat cheeses, crudité, and butter-laced seafood preparations (Coquille St. Jacques!) work very well with this wine.
