Sancerre Blanc — Monts Damnés 2024

Les Monts Damnés is one of Sancerre's most dramatic and celebrated slopes. Local tradition says one had to be 'damned' to plant and work such a steep hillside. The parcel's Sauvignon Blanc vines average approximately 30 years.

Chalky-clay Terres Blanches gives naturally rich, well-constituted wines that improve with age. The domaine has been certified organic since 2023. Vines are trained to simple Guyot and the 2023 fruit was harvested by hand in small crates on September 10.

Whole, intact bunches are carried by conveyor into pneumatic presses. This careful handling protects the fruit from excessive crushing and oxidation before the juice enters fermentation.

Slow fermentation at 16-20°C takes place in a temperature-controlled wooden tank, preserving Sauvignon Blanc's natural aromatic detail. The wine then remains on its lees for nine months in a 40-hectoliter wooden tank.

Pale gold, with a fine nose of white fruit, exotic fruit and blackcurrant bud. The palate is very fresh and immediately appealing, carrying generous fruit through a mineral structure that clearly reflects the Terres Blanches hillside.