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1997: Le Prix du Champagne Lanson Noble Cuvée Award for investigations into Champagne for the Millennium investment scams

2001: Le Prix Champagne Lanson Ivory Award for investdrinks.org

2011: Vindic d'Or MMXI – 'Meilleur blog anti-1855'

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2012: Born Digital Wine Awards: No Pay No Jay – best investigative wine story

2012: International Wine Challenge – Personality of the Year Award




Wednesday 30 June 2010

Sancerre: time to consider screwcaps

Cross above Chavignol looking towards Sancerre

This morning we had 34 wines from Terres Blanches (clay-limestone) to taste. The Terres Blanches are mainly the steep hillside vineyards like Les Monts Damnés, La Grande Côte and the Clos de la Poussie. Wines from this terroir tend to be the longest lived from Sancerre but are often initially closed – much less forward than those from the Caillottes.

Of the 34 there were five that were corked, which is an extraordinary high rate of 14.70%.  Although this one can hardly draw conclusions from just 34 wines, this does suggest that the Sancerrois ought to be considering whether their wines wouldn't be better under screwcap. They might also show greater vibrancy.

4 comments:

Chris Piper said...

Jim, I think I've probably mentioned this a year or so ago but our supplier in Chavignol, Domaine Serge Laporte, has been bottling his Sancerre for us under Stelvin for two vintages now. We have also persuaded the Chavets (Menetou), Christophe Pichot (Vouvray) and the Penets (Oisly - Sauvignon de Touraine)to do so as well. They are all so beautifully fresh and untainted now!

Chris

Jim's Loire said...

Good work Chris. I think i have seem most of these wines. At the Decanter tasting it was striking how few wines were closed with a screwcap - 5 or 6 out of nearly 120.

Chris Piper said...

Probably the best thing for importers to do would be to ask their Sancerre suppliers to bottle under screwcap - there's plenty of contract bottlers in the area who are extremely well-equipped for this now. I guess the likes of the Cotats and Reverdys might not be ultra-keen on going to Stelvin, though!

Chris

Jim's Loire said...

I agree Chris. My understanding is that a major stumbling block is the the opposition of the French restaurant sector to screwcaps.