2024 La Clef du Récit Sancerre, Loire Valley

Delicate floral aromas lift from the glass including lilac and bruised honeysuckle followed by Fuji apple and hints of lychee. The rounded palate unveils a stony minerality with flakes of sea salt and lemon peel on the finish. Pair with oysters, linguine alfredo and salmon caviar.

90 points wineenthusiast.com

La Clef du Récit Sancerre is a thoughtful, quietly expressive take on Sauvignon Blanc that leans into nuance, texture and a strong sense of place rather than overt aromatics. The vineyards sit in the heart of Sancerre, where limestone and clay limestone soils dominate, particularly the famous terres blanches and caillottes that give the wines their shape and mineral backbone. This is classic Loire terroir, delivering freshness, structure and that gently savoury edge that defines great Sancerre.

The name La Clef du Récit translates loosely to the key to the story, and that idea fits beautifully here. This is a wine about letting the vineyard tell its own tale. Winemaking is restrained and precise, favouring balance and clarity over impact. The focus is on purity of fruit, careful handling and time, allowing the wine to build complexity naturally rather than through technique.

On the nose, the wine is layered and composed. Fresh lemon zest and lime sit alongside white peach and green apple, followed by subtler notes of crushed herbs, fennel frond and wet stone. With air, a gentle flinty character emerges, along with hints of chamomile and citrus blossom. Nothing shouts, everything hums.

The palate is dry, focused and beautifully textured. Citrus and orchard fruit lead, carried by bright but finely tuned acidity. Mid palate, the wine gains a chalky grip and gentle savoury tone, think oyster shell, limestone dust and a touch of green almond. There is excellent tension here, with freshness and texture working together rather than pulling apart. The finish is long, clean and mineral, tapering into saline notes and citrus peel.

This is a Sancerre made for the table. It shines with oysters, grilled fish, goat’s cheese, asparagus, herb driven dishes or anything that benefits from freshness and precision. It is drinking beautifully now, but it also has the structure to evolve over five to eight years, gaining more smoky, savoury complexity while holding onto its core of energy and balance. A refined, intelligent Loire Valley Sauvignon Blanc that rewards attention.