Sancerre Henri Bourgeois Etienne Henri 2015/16

Sancerre Henri Bourgeois Etienne Henri, 100% Sauvignon Blanc, top Cuvee from famed Bourgeois domaine, old vines, barrel fermented. The oaked Etienne Henri cuvée comes from the older vines on flint clay slopes. Such a method of vinification requires top-quality grapes for a successful marriage of wood and wine. Alcoholic fermentation is exclusively in oak barrels followed by 12 months of maturation on fine lees. Result: a fine wine of great complexity, richness and style with the ability to age for a long time.

Domaine Henri Bourgeois is an acclaimed producer whose wines still exhibit the complexity of the terroir of Chavignol, being chalky with a touch of gunflint, initially steely, then ripening in the mouth with a broad array of flavours and wonderful length. The estate has been in the family for over 10 generations, and they still work with the same ethos and drive for quality and wines which speak of the inimitable terroir of Sancerre. They have several dozen small plots of land which amount to 72 hectares, including some of the very best soils for Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir in the region. There is also a rather lovely story of a famous old oak tree in the village which was struck down by lightning, and then acquired by the Bourgeois family to become the vehicle for their finest grapes.