This is an intense and ripe SancerrefromSbastien Riffault. He works 12 hectares of Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir vines in Sury-en-Vaux, Sancerre, the farthest eastern reaches of Loire Valley winemaking country.

Tasting Notes:Riffault’s Sancerre is Sauvignon Blanc taken to its most baroque expression, allowed to rebel in its beauty without stern devotion to the cult of dryness and bracing acidity. Riffault’s wines are art-pieces, through and through.The 2017 “Les Quarterons” is Riffault’s entry-level cuve, coming from several parcels left long on the vine to ripen. It’s a darker gold in the glass, with tons of ripe melon and red pear notes, utterly quixotic for NZ savvy-b drinkers but a completely stunning journey.

Vinification:100% Sauvignon Blanc hand-harvested from 30 year-old biodynamic vines grown on clay and limestone soil. The grapesare directly-pressedintostainless steel and undergo spontaneous fermentation with only the help of native yeasts. The wine ages for 24 months in stainless.Unfined, unfiltered,with a touch of additional SO2 (10mg/L). 13% ABV