Domaine Merlin-Cherrier Sancerre 2023

Thierry works according to sustainable agriculture principles known in French as ‘la Lutte Raisonnée’. He has grassed the plots, which sit on richer, heavier soils; he keeps yields down and quality high by debudding in spring and crop-thinning in summer. For the past five years, he has been deleting his Sauvignon Blanc vines to allow the wind and sun access to the bunches, which results in thicker, more resistant skins and, therefore, more flavour. The results testify to this practice in ever finer, more intensely aromatic whites. The vineyard in Bué is spread across hard and soft limestone terroir, with pockets of marl, resulting in wines with excellent structure balanced by wonderful aromatics.