The CWB Non-White Sancerre-Off
A Sancerre-off; yet neither wine is white
Think Sancerre and steely, flinty, textured Sauvignon is what usually first comes to mind. And with good reason as it represents some 80% of the vineyard.
Yet Sancerre, closer to Burgundy than to the Atlantic, also grows Pinot Noir, making red wines and very small amounts of rosé.
These two non-white Sancerres are both made from Pinot, both from Guy Saget and are from consecutive vintages — 2018 and 2019.
Both were bin-end markdowns from now-defunct Wines of The Loire, bougt for mid-single-figures with a list price of around £20.
As someone who struggles with Pinot in general and red Burgundy in particular, I was curious to see which of the two I would prefer. In the end, both wines were solid, but didn’t quite make my heart beat faster.
The rosé, which I preferred, has more savoury salinity, but somehow doesn’t quite hang together; the red, confirming my Pinot blind spot, was pleasantly dark-fruited, but rather lean and austere.
They say:
A small appellation of the upper Loire Valley in France, Sancerre is famous for producing crisp, dry Sauvignon Blanc wines. Located at the eastern end of the Loire Valley, hundreds of kilometres from the ocean, Sancerre is closer to Burgundy than to the other Loire regions in the west.
Sancerre’s soils and cool climate create wines of intense purity and bracing acidity; Red wines, made from Pinot Noir and labelled as Sancerre Rouge are also produced in this far-flung region of the Loire but make up only a tiny percentage of the annual output.
Sancerre is highly regarded for white wine made from the Sauvignon blanc grape. However both Sancerre Rouge and Sancerre rosé are made, representing approximately 20% and less than 1%, respectively, of Sancerre’s total output. The basis for both the red and rosé is the red grape Pinot noir.
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Guy Saget Sancerre Rosé 2019
Fresh, complex Loire rosé; lots going on, but not fully knitted together.
13%
100% Pinot Noir
translucent crimson with orange tints; delicate crunchy red berries with marzipan, dried herbs and white pepper; fresh and saline with soft red fruits, lemon-and-lime citrus, candied strawberry, cool mint and toasty, creamy-oatmealy cashew and macadamia. Savoury and persistent, but somehow lacks harmoniousness.
Thoroughly pleasant+.
Drinks nicely on first pouring. At a peak, but can be cellared further.
Match with savoury dishes, such as goat’s cheese and red onion tart, butcher’s herby sausages with red onion chutney or smoked salmon quiche.
Guy Saget Sancerre Rouge 2018
Reliable, fruited yet somewhat lean Pinot
13.5%
Vibrant translucent ruby with some paleness to the rim; red and dark cherries with dried herbs and spice; fresh dark-berry fruits, black cherries and dark plum, vibrant acidity, peppery spice and fine, grippy tannins.
Thoroughly pleasant+.
Drinks nicely on first pouring. Just mature and can be cellared further.
Match with plain roast red meat and dark game.
