Ken Gargett, Sauvignon Blanc and Sancerre

The Origins of Sauvignon Blanc and the New wave of Loire Producers bringing it up to date

THE LOIRE VALLEY IS ONE OF FRANCE’S GREAT WINE REGIONS. AS ONE ENTERS THE MOUTH OF THE RIVER AND TRAVELS EAST TOWARDS THE SOURCE, STYLES AND VARIETIES CHANGE TO SUIT THE TERROIR, THE CUISINE AND THE PEOPLE. IT IS HERE, DESPITE RECENT EFFORTS BY THE NEW WORLD, THAT ONE FINDS THE GREATEST EXAMPLES OF THE SAUVIGNON BLANC GRAPE.

Some years ago, a clever man from New Zealand took an obscure Chinese fruit, the Chinese gooseberry, renamed it and turned it into an international phenomenon called Kiwi fruit. They did much the same thing with Sauvignon Blanc, often shortened to Sauv Blanc or even just Savvy, taking a grape few knew and transforming it into a global smash for those who like a cheap and cheerful shot of flavour.

Regions that formed part of the Loire, like Sancerre and Pouilly-Fume, had been making Sauvignon Blanc wines for a great many years but under the French system, wines are labelled by region and not variety, so many wine lovers had no idea that they had been enjoying Sauv Blanc for years. Prior to New Zealand’s entry into this market, Sancerre, especially, had been extremely popular as a go-to wine in bistros and restaurants. Its suitability to a range of foods, and the value it represented, made it an ideal choice.

As popular as Kiwi Sauv Blanc is, if there is one thing that we know about wine lovers, it is that they graduate. After a while, simple and pleasant is not enough. They want complexity, character, texture and quality. And for this, with Sauvignon Blanc, they must turn to the Loire. The Loire Valley is the spiritual home for this variety, the place it originated and the location to look to experience what the future holds for it.

Despite competing claims, authorities believe the grape originated in the Loire Valley. There are mentions of it as far back as the 1500s. Sauvignon Blanc offers an appealing burst of acidity and flavours that are alluringly fresh and vibrant – grassy notes, nettles, gooseberries, sometimes moving to more tropical characters, notably passionfruit.

Grown widely throughout France, it is, as Jancis Robinson says, “in the Loire that Sauvignon Blanc finds its purest expression”. The main regions are Sancerre and Pouilly-Fume where, usually offered as a single, unoaked varietal, it reflects its terroir most definitively. Other Loire regions where Sauvignon thrives include Reuilly and Menetou-Salon, where limestone soils provide a more rounder style, which many love. The aromatics from Sauvignon Blanc grown in Menetou-Salon are especially prized. These regions are gaining more and more interest in Australia, not least as they offer such good value. Quincy and Coteaux du Giennois are other Loire

Words Ken Gargett

regions worth exploring. Quincy can have 10% of Sauvignon Gris blended with the Sauv Blanc. It offers a vibrant, ‘rustic’ style. Coteaux du Giennois, with its flint and calcareous soils, is more of a crisp, light, fresh style.

Good Sancerre is an intense wine, powerfully aromatic and racy.

The region, which has 14 communes, can basically be divided into three subdistricts, although the soils can and do vary, almost from row to row.

First, in general terms, what are termed the ‘white western vineyards’ where the soils are clay and limestone with some Kimmeridgian marne (these soils sometimes referred to as caillottes). This is around the Chavignol district. Expect a more powerful style of Sancerre from here.

Secondly, moving back towards the town of Sancerre, where the soils do contain some limestone, but gravel dominates. The wines from here are elegant and much more delicate.

Finally, around the town of Sancerre itself, which looks out on the surrounding vineyards from its lofty position, where the soils include flint – the famous silex. The wines offer delightfully perfumed aromatics and have a reputation, contrary to what is the conventional wisdom relating to this variety, for being long-lived.

In all sub-districts, care needs to be taken in the vineyard to ensure that the vines do not overcrop or that the canopy is too extensive, which can lead to unwanted herbaceousness. In some years, there have even been sweet Sancerre wines made (vendange tardive) by a few adventurous producers, though this is far from the norm. A fresh, light Pinot Noir is also made but this is very much a minority in terms of production. There is a feeling that climate change might see these red wines gain more attention.

Innovation continues in the winery with some of the more adventurous producers. Maturation in oak is one example. Skin contact another.

As has been mentioned, Sancerre is a fabulous food wine. It is perhaps most famously paired with the region’s speciality, goats cheese, but there are many options.

Vying with Sancerre for top Sauvignon Blanc region in the Loire is nearby PouillyFume. It is less than half the size in terms of production and considered a more homogeneous region. The soils are mostly limestone with some of the legendary flint (silex). This is considered to give the wines a smoky note. Again, experimentation has been taking place, with maturation in oak especially popular with some makers, some in the Loire even using acacia wood. This leads to wines with increased levels of complexity and texture. Unoaked remains the dominant style, though.

This is the region that was home to the man known as perhaps the most famous producer of Sauvignon Blanc in the world, Didier Dagueneau. Sadly, Dagueneau passed away around a decade ago, killed in an ultra-light plane accident, however, his cult winery continues under the stewardship of his son, Benjamin. Wines made by Didier attract huge prices in the secondary market from collectors.

While the legacy of innovation Didier created will live on, there are many superb producers across both Sancerre and Pouilly-Fume – Vacheron, Alphonse Mellot, Domaine Girard, François Crochet, Claude Riffault, Francois Cotat (who is seen as the new King of the region), Henri Bourgeois, Domaine du Nozay, Domaine des Berthiers, Fournier Pere, Pascal Jolivet and more.

Anyone interested in great Sauvignon Blanc can no longer afford to ignore the Loire and its superstar regions of Sancerre and Pouilly-Fume.

EXPERT VIEWPOINT DAVID MESSUM

Just The Drop

What is getting you excited about The Loire at the moment?

We’re seeing a great influx of Organic, Bio Dynamic and thoughtfully farmed wines coming through the smaller importer network here in Australia. The Loire has more Organic and DB producers than anywhere else in Europe, likely the world.

I’m also getting excited about whites, I’ve personally been on a rediscovery of Chenin Blanc and Sauvignon Blanc, obviously two of Loire’s hero varieties. The texture and minerality of these are just great drinking, across all price points.

Have you seen an increase in interest in wines from The Loire over the last two years?

We’ve been working with the associations for four years and can honestly say we’ve seen a big increase in both volume and value of the exports coming to Australia. Until Covid we were up virtually across the board in AOP wines. The trade has certainly been well engaged through our marketing activities and our research shows a 74% increase in on-trade being more aware of Loire wines than they were in 2018.

What makes the Loire wines so unique?

There are simply so many climates, soils, and ancient wine growing cultures along the length that diversity is the Loire’s strength. They can do so much across the board at a very high level. It’s an embarrassment of riches.

How do Australians relate to wines from Sancerre, and Sauvignon Blanc more broadly?

Sancerre exports to Australia peaked in 2015 and we’re now down approx. 30% on those figures (to the end of 2019). However the value of exports hasn’t dropped as far and it really shows how Sancerre is considered, higher end more on-premise focused.