2021 Domaine Dominique et Janine Crochet Sancerre Rosé, Loire Valley, France

ABOUT THIS WINE

The newly released Crochet Sancerre Rosé is drawn from the high elevations of Janine and Teddy Crochet’s Pinot Noir vines in the village of Bué. The conditions are perfect for delicious Sancerre Rosé.

Domaine Dominique et Janine Crochet makes one of the best Sancerre rosés out there. The Crochet name is synonymous with the town of Bué, one of the three greatest villages in the Sancerre appellation, and this beautiful 2021 rosé takes the crisp acidity we treasure from top white Sancerre and adds beautiful strawberry and orange-zest aromas to the mix.

ABOUT THIS PRODUCER

Nestled deep in the hamlet of Bué lies the charming residence and impressively spotless, well-equipped winery of Domaine Dominique and Janine Crochet, with an underground cellar housing Hermitage and Centre France barrels of Pinot Noir and some single-vineyard Sauvignon Blanc. After the untimely passing of their father Dominique, sons Teddy (a former Rugby player) and Cyprien, both 5th generation growers, now proudly manage this domaine with impressive holdings in Chene Marchand, Grand Chemarin, Champ Chêne ("field of oaks") and the extremely steep southeast-exposed vineyard La Côte de Bué.

Eager but not optimistic to find a Sancerre grower with the same commitment to expressing fruit and harvesting old, well-tended vines as the growers whom we have befriended for many years, we were thrilled to find exactly that on our February 2022 visit to France and be graciously received by the Crochet family. The richness of the single-vineyards is linked to the diversity of soils: caillottes (pebbly), terres blanches (white earth), flint, limestone and calcareous clay.

Teddy and Cyprien choose to vinify most of their white wines in stainless steel tanks to bring out the fruit and floral notes that their old vines (30-70 years) gather from these rich and complex soils. The 12 ha. domaine (with plots in the adjacent communes of Sancerre, Crézancy and Vinon, totaling 35 ha. altogether) is practicing organic and will be certified within 3 years. All single-vineyards are harvested entirely by hand, and indigenous yeasts are used for all the reds with a light clay filtration before bottling.